On Thursday, July 4, the employer left the negotiating table with an ultimatum
- take it or leave it - under the threat to only allow orders for electric cars in the cafeteria plan from September 1, 2022.
The management wants a commitment from the trade unions to defend the proposals that have been made to the staff.
The unions will have a final exchange of views with our Country Manager - Peter Adams - at the end of July, after which it will go straight to the implementation of ING's intentions. Pending these talks, the management was prepared to postpone the date of introduction of only electric cars to 1 October at the request of the unions. However, orders can only be placed until….23/09/2022! Nevertheless, the management has already indicated that there is no longer any room for further concessions.
ACLVB-CGSLB has put more than 40 written questions to the management. Questions that have not yet been answered.
We are not getting the requested numbers. And also the presentations shown during the negotiations - that is to say flickered across the screens at a pace faster than you and I can blink our eyes - are not shared.
Only if the plans are defended by the unions information and documentation will be provided to the unions to communicate to the members of the personnel. Unseen in the history of this bank!
We can hardly speak of negotiations - rather of a monologue. A camp-like attempt to convince the unions of the great plan on the table here. All this under the guise of a new cafeteria plan to be negotiated.
The fact is that we have been through a lot in the history of ING's negotiations, but this round takes the cake!
Let's recap everything and get back to the gist of these negotiations:
At the end of 2022, the ruling of the current Cafeteria plan will expire and a new ruling must be requested.
The fact is that a ruling is discussed between the bank and the tax authorities. The unions do not intervene.
A simple extension of the ruling would therefore have been a possibility… We also think it would be useful to look at which elements are part of the current ruling and which (new) elements are added.
The cost of the Flex Plan:
However, from the employers' side there are alarming reports that the Plan is no longer in balance or to put it in the terms of the management: Cost neutral.
A review of the discounts given is urgent, according to the employers' side.
Got the message, so it seems more than logical to us to look at where the cost drivers are.
What do we determine?the bank still earned 1.6 million euros in 2020on the Cafeteria plan!
Then to have to determine that in 2021 the costs of the Plan will explode to a deficit of 8.5 million a difference of 10.1 million in one year!
In the year 2022, another 3.1 million will be added. We are in the meantime at 11.6 million euros!
When we ask for an explanation for this, we get no answer. The fact is that the bank wants to eliminate this deficit by reducing the discounts in the Flex Plan.
It seems obvious to us that the costs of the Flex Plan are made transparent and are shared accordingly, especially if you put forward new elements such as continuously opening the plan, adding Medexel and green loans.
If this means that the costs will increase exponentially again and that you as an employee will pay the bill, then this is unacceptable!
In fact, it will further mortgage the future of the cafeteria plan.
Addition of Medexel in the Cafeteria plan:
Once again Medexel comes to the negotiating table. While this was already the subject of negotiations in March last year and included in a collective labor agreement. ACLVB-CGSLB did not sign, simply because it was an empty box. This is once again apparent.
We note that the employer comes up with a number of proposals, which were not discussed with us before, to take it or leave it.
Of course, this also comes with a price – for the staff member even more than double the personal contribution.
The price of a car does not double if you add an option of an open roof, does it?
And what about the employer's share? Today, ING is adjusting the premium. But the additional cost of the new proposal will be fully passed on to the employee. ING does not want to increase its share. ING juggle a lower premium if you pay it with a flex budget.
To the question: “what are the prices for an exit or retirement?”, we get no answer… no figures or simulations. Just the notification that the retirees will get a price per age!
We also do not receive an answer to the question of what the cost of adding Medexel to the Flex plan means (with possible impact on future discounts).
Electric cars from 01/10/2022
Let it be clear. This concerns the consequence of a decision taken in Amsterdam rather than a cause of the renewal of the ruling of the Flexplan.
Its implementation, so abrupt and with an impact on all staff, rightly raises questions.
Like the generation of electricity (with gas, coal and nuclear energy…) is this really so green? The existing infrastructure that is not yet provided for, starting with the ING buildings. And are electric cars as green in production as they claim?
Counterproposals :
It has once again been shown that the Flexible wage means a loss of purchasing power in the medium and long term.
Counter-proposals such as indexing Flex or upgrading car budgets are
invariably rejected.
The flexible wage is not indexed as is the case with other banks. Continuing to adjust from your baremic wage to maintain the purchasing power in your flex is detrimental and does not result in a remedy for the problem. Moreover, this mechanism has a negative long-term impact on the evolution of your wages and social security, such as (supplementary) pension accrual, additional holiday pay, severance pay, 13themonth and therefore also … your Flex! A vicious circle with a negative outcome that is especially noticeable in times of (strong) inflation.
Conclusion:
In September, our union will definitively consider the proposals of the management. Let it be clear that we want answers to our open questions.
Withholding information will not prevent us from investigating things on our part. And we will take our time for this!
When in doubt, we will not give up and take our responsibility! Here's a call to the board to clarify
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