Take Peter Kindt for example. He is employed by FOM, the Foundation for Fundamental Matter Research, and works as a researcher at the Faculty of Science and Technology. He receives a salary from FOM, according to the collective labor agreement for research foundations, and on top of that the UT paid him a so-called `commitment bonus.' Both elements of that salary are at risk. The commitment bonus is being dropped because the benefits package for AIOs is being reduced. That was agreed upon in the new collective labor agreement for Dutch universities, which applies to AIOs. AIOs will get a higher salary, but fewer benefits. That prompted the UT to also drop the commitment bonus for OIOs. But since FOM, in accordance with the collective labor agreement for Research Foundations, uses unfavorable pay scales, this sets the OIOs back. In their case, the loss of the bonus is not compensated with a higher salary.
According to Kindt, the situation is unfair because the UT's policy dictates equal primary terms of employment for both AIOs and OIOs. Kindt: `That is specified in the Executive Board decision of December 14, 2000. I think I should be paid the same as an AIO because I do the same work as an AIO.'
Ben Geerts, head of the Central Personnel Department of FOM is not impressed by the news that AIOs are gaining financially while OIOs are not: `We simply follow the collective labor agreement for research foundations. We pay all our OIOs the same, whether they work in Twente or Eindhoven. We're not going to adjust the pay scales.'
Anja Smit, legal expert in the UT's Personnel Department. `The terms of employment for AIOs and OIOs are the same. However, the end result is different for OIOs, because of the pay scales in the collective labor agreement for research foundations.' According to Smit, the UT cannot do anything about the pay scales, because salaries are paid through the FOM. Smit also said that the UT has no intention of compensating the OIOs.
In the days ahead, about fifteen OIOs will be discussing the situation to see what steps they can take. `First, we want to talk with the UT,' Kindt says. `After that, we may be forced to take legal steps.'
Translated by Jeroen Latour
