A new agreement on pay has been reached for Aviko workers at two potato plants in the Netherlands.
The “collective labour agreement” was settled between the potato processor and Dutch trade unions FNV and CNV on 20 March, an Aviko spokesperson told Just Food.
The company’s original proposal in December 2023 to increase wages by 4.5% was initially declined by FNV-represented employees. Rounds of strike action ensued.
Aviko then made an additional offer of increasing pay by 5.5% from January to April 2025, which was accepted.
The company was unable to comment on whether the wage increase will return to 4.5% from April onwards next year.
In a statement, the spokesperson said: “Aviko is pleased that a collective labor agreement was reached with the unions CNV and FNV, last March.
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“It was important for us to reach an agreement that respects the interests of both the organisation and our employees, in line with the developments and challenges we face.
“With this collective labour agreement, we provide certainty and stability of employment conditions.”
Just Food has reached out to FNV and CNV for comment.
Strikes began at the Lomm potato plant on 14 February. This was followed by a second walkout on 16 February which was joined by employees from the Steenderen plant.
A third strike began on 21 February, with some workers unwilling to accept Aviko’s proposal of a 4.5% wage increase.
Around 100 workers from Lomm and Steenderen were involved in the walkout, the company told Just Food at the time.
Some 680 people are employed at both facilities. Workers represented by the CNV trade union did not take part in the third strike according to Aviko, having accepted its initial wage increase.
Strikes ended at both plants on February 25 as the hash browns maker engaged in further talks with the unions regarding the updated wage proposal.
Aviko’s prepared potatoes portfolio includes sweet potato wedges, potato-based snacks, hash browns and potato chips.
The company employs 2,500 people globally, with more than two million potatoes being processed a year across its 13 sites in the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Belgium and China.
