How much you can earn in your profession in the Netherlands largely depends on your sector or industry. But how high are the wages for different professions exactly? In the last episode of this series, we take a closer look at the salary of stock fillers.
It is often thought that filling shelves is simple work that can be performed by anyone. But is that really so?
What training are you taking to become a stock filler?
Stock filler is not a position for which you have to follow a course. But it is incorrect to assume that everyone can do it. Work placement supervisors at practical schools, for example, have students fill courses under supervision, so that they can do this without making mistakes.
In theory, these students can later make this their job. In practice, as soon as they turn twenty, they are regularly replaced by cheaper students, says Michiel Al, negotiator for the supermarket collective agreement at FNV Handel. “This job market is tough.”
What does a starting stock filler earn?
Shelf fillers fall into group A of the collective labor agreement. During the entire collective labor agreement period from 2020 to mid-2023, wages will be increased by about 9 percent. In other words, every six months with a step of 1 to 2.5 percent. Since March 1 of this year, hourly wages have been increased by 1 percent:
Uurloon van minimumjeugdloon
- 15 jaar: 3,94 euro
- 16 jaar: 4,55 euro
- 17 jaar: 5,20 euro
- 18 jaar: 5,71 euro
- 19 jaar: 6,67 euro
- 20 jaar: 8,92 euro
- 21 jaar: 11,14 euro
What do you have to do for that money and what extras do you get?
“The work of a stock filler is often seen as a part-time job during your high school or college years, just like the newspaper route,” says negotiator Al. “Supermarkets make full use of this. When employees are eighteen or nineteen years old, they quickly become too expensive and are replaced by a new class of students.”
The negotiator states that asking for a higher salary for a shelf filler is “absolutely not an option”. “Supermarkets really don’t pay anymore. It all fluctuates just at or just above the minimum wage or the youth minimum wage for minors.”
In addition, as of January 1, 2022, the allowance for work on Sunday has been reduced in the collective labor agreement, from 100 percent to 50 percent. Those who already worked on Sundays in 2021 must keep the 100 percent allowance until 1 January 2025. However, this only applies to the number of Sundays that were also worked in 2021. Does the stock filler work more Sundays in the years after 2021? Then the person will receive the new allowance of 50 percent over these ‘extra’ days.
How high can the salary be?
“Shelf filler is certainly not a job with which you can get promoted, at most you can become a cooperating foreman (m/f)”, says Al. According to him, it is therefore difficult to really grow in salary. “In addition, the work has not changed over the years and will not change. However, working hours have become longer and the pace of work has increased. In times of sky-high inflation, this work should really be paid better than it is at the moment. case.”
The profit figures of the stores make it clear that a lot of money is simply being made, while wages are not equal to inflation.
How is the labor market for shelf fillers doing?
A new collective agreement for supermarkets is on the way and trade unions are working hard for the collective agreements in which the current inflation has not yet been passed on. “The profit figures of the stores make it clear that there is simply a lot of money being made, while wages are not equal to inflation,” says Al.
In addition, the FNV is committed to a higher minimum wage of 14 euros per hour for an employee aged 21. Al: “For a stock filler that is now 11 euros and that is already too expensive for supermarkets. Then they take a youngster who works for less than half. We would like to see that change “
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