Municipalities have agreed a pay deal for council workers worth 6% over 15 months, as well as measures to tackle a shortage of experienced staff.

Under the terms of the deal, reached by local government association VNG and three trade unions, nearly all the 210,000 staff will see their pay increased by 4.75% in January and an additional 1.75% in October.

The collective bargaining agreement covers the period until March 2025.

Staff will also have more opportunities to carry on working beyond the official retirement age if they wish and increase their working week from 36 hours to 40. In return, the notice period has been extended to two months.

Councils also agreed to phase out the recruitment of workers on payroll contracts by 2028 and provide an annual breakdown of the costs of hiring external staff.

FNV negotiator Marieke Manschot said the deal was designed to secure an across-the-board improvement in pay and conditions following the last collective agreement, which mainly boosted wage packets at the low end of the scale.

“This is much needed in an increasingly tight labour market,” she said.

Union members still have to vote on whether to approve the deal.