In the metals sector, there are significant developments around the collective bargaining agreements which directly affect thousands of employees in the engineering and metalworking industries. Recently, the negotiations for the CBA Metalektro (Large Metal) were completed and the result is now finalised. In addition, there is a Negotiation result for the collective labour agreement Metaal & Techniek (Small Metalwork) which are currently up for vote. These are important steps for employees and employers in this dynamic sector.
CBA Metalektro 2026: agreement reached and finalised
After months of negotiations, trade unions (FNV Metaal, CNV, De Unie and VHP2) and employers' association FME reached agreement on a new collective agreement for the Metalektro sector. Meanwhile, both union members and employers through FME have agreed to the negotiation result - making the CBA is definitely round.
Duration and structure
-
The collective agreement applies to 12 months, from 1 January to 31 December 2026.
Key agreements
-
Structural wage increase by 1 January 2026:
- +2% on all wages and salary scales
- + €43 gross per month on top of salary. -
One-off net benefit from €100 in November 2026, for employees employed on 1 November.
-
Improved RVU scheme (early retirement): benefit is increased by €300 for those starting RVU from 1 January.
-
Trade union membership fee: CNV members will receive a net refund of their 2026 contributions.
In total, these agreements mean a average wage increase of over 3% by 2026 for workers in the Metallurgy sector.
💡 In short: there is now a clear and mutually supported collective agreement for 2026 - aimed at stability in a period of economic uncertainty.
Metal & Engineering collective labour agreement 2026-2028: result and vote
In the broader Metal & Engineering sector (which includes many engineering industries), a negotiation result has also been reached that is currently is up for vote among members. CNV and other unions have set out these agreements in a 2-year CBA recorded.
Key points of the collective agreement result
-
Duration: of 1 February 2026 to 1 February 2028 - Two years of certainty, then.
-
Wage developmentstructural pay increase of about 3% from 1 March 2026.
-
Trade union membership fee: members will receive full net refund of dues over 2026.
-
Additional fees: a one-off gross benefit AND further structural increase in 2027 are part of the result.
-
Important: all deteriorations of previous proposals have been removed from the result, said FNV.
Voting open! Employees can give their opinion on this negotiation result - a step that determines whether this CBA will become final. The outcome is relevant for everyone working in the Metal & Engineering sector.
What does this mean for employers and employees?
For employees concretely, the collective agreement in the Metalektro means more income in 2026, improved early retirement schemes and additional security on employment conditions. For the Metal & Engineering-sector comes on top of that a stable 2-year CBA that combines wage growth with additional allowances and a clear trajectory for the coming years.
For employers it remains important to implement these collective agreements in payroll in a timely manner and to keep employees well informed about what is changing for them. In addition, flexibility and commitment to collective agreement development remains crucial for the attractiveness of the sector in times of labour market scarcity.
Conclusion
The Metalektro 2026 collective labour agreement has been finalised with clear improvements in pay and conditions. At the same time, the CAO result for Metaal & Techniek is up for vote, an important step for the entire sector. For Twente Personeelsdiensten and its clients, this means in concrete terms: a nice prospect of good salaries for employees, making both client and temporary employment agency more attractive to start for!
Want help with the implementation of the collective bargaining agreements within your staff population Or would you like to know what these changes mean for your business? Let us know - we'd love to help!
