News from the works councils (December 2023)
What do you think about work pressure or safety at work? It is still possible to share your opinion about subjects related to your work in the employee satisfaction survey until 18 December.
The Group Works Council of NWO-I (GOR NWO-I) really values this survey because the outcomes will be translated into a plan for improvements. The GOR NWO-I will provide input for this plan.
Furthermore, GOR NWO-I will also be kept informed about the progress in the trajectory 'Development Operations' (of the functional NWO-I domains). The Central Works Council of NWO (COR NWO) advised about establishing the Dutch Climate Research Initiative (KIN) and is now ready for interim negotiations about several subjects in the Implementation Regulations.
News from the GOR NWO-I
NWO-I employee satisfaction survey
The employee satisfaction survey can be completed by all NWO-I employees until 18 December 2023.
Do you still need to complete the survey? Then please take the opportunity to do so now. The GOR NWO-I feels that the survey is an important measurement moment. During the consultative meeting of October, we received an explanation about the steps taken to make the survey available again. GOR NWO-I is of the opinion that those steps safeguard the privacy of all NWO-I employees. As soon as the outcomes are known, we will discuss an action plan with the Executive Board representative. The local works councils of the institutes and the NWO-I office will also be involved in drawing up an action plan for their location.
Development Operations
In September, the co-determination trajectory concerning the 'Development Operations' was put on hold. During the last consultative meeting, the Executive Board representative provided an update about the developments. One or more responsible persons have been allocated for each functional domain, usually an institute manager together with a management team member and/or other functionally responsible person from the NWO-I office. They are working towards an action plan for each functional domain, and these plans will be merged into the year plan NWO-I 2024. Depending on their content, the GOR NOW-I receives all these plans by way of information sharing, or for advice or consent. The GOR NWO-I has offered to provide input beforehand, for example via its own committees.
News from the COR NWO
Establishment Dutch Climate Research Initiative (Dutch acronym 'KIN')
The Executive Board representative submitted to the COR NWO for advice a proposal to establish the Dutch Climate Research Initiative as a temporary NWO task force. During the consultative meeting of 12 September 2023, this request for advice was discussed. The COR NWO contributed discussion points that are now part of the advice:
- discussed alternatives;
- structural financial resources;
- the role of NWO in the national climate research landscape;
- follow up the establishment of KIN by involving the NWO-D works council.
The Executive Board has now taken the decision to establish the KIN and this completes the advice trajectory.
Implementation Regulations (interim negotiations)
Under the current Implementation Regulations (IR), the employer and the COR NWO have agreed that interim discussions (before 1 July 2024) need to take place about at least the following subjects:
- the performance appraisal interviews;
- the alignment of the whistleblower regulation with new legislation;
- the adjustment of the IR, if the decision is taken to appoint an ombudsman;
- the size of the new remunerations included in the IR, for which a possible adjustment can take place with effect from 1 July 2024;
- the outcomes of the pilot for exploring the possibility of lease-bikes.
The COR NWO is ready for these new negotiations and has set up two internal workgroups that will work on the performance appraisal interviews and the ombudsman. If you would like to provide the COR NWO with input for the interim negotiations, than we can be reached via: COR@nwo.nl or contact “your COR representative”. Would you like to know who represents your organisation unit in the COR NWO? Then please click visit the NWO-I website.