AMSTERDAM—The demands are being made as wage negotiations begin this week. At the moment hospital staff receive a 5 percent end-of-year bonus and mental health workers just 4 percent.

The FNV says labour shortages mean it's important to make the sector more attractive. The aging population is a double burden on the healthcare sector. On one hand there are more elderly people to care for and on the other there are fewer school graduates coming into the sector.

A half a million people work in hospitals, mental health clinics and centres for the disabled in the Netherlands and are affected by this round of wage negotiations. The Abvakabo FNV is the Netherlands' largest union in the healthcare sector.

Radio Netherlands/Expatica