Archaeology Sector Table continues dialogue with Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

Archaeology Sector Table continues dialogue with Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
On September 4, 2025, a letter was sent from the sector table to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science regarding cooperation in the (legal) anchoring of the fair pay Archaeology job classification system. On February 26, 2026, a delegation met with the Ministry and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands.

In this letter and during this meeting, the possibility of anchoring a single collective labor agreement (CAO) for archaeology within the Heritage Act was discussed. The Ministry is hesitant about legislation, primarily due to the regulatory burden, and wishes to explore other options for anchoring first. They see possibilities for achieving a universally binding collective labor agreement in the archaeology sector. In this regard, the Ministry is willing to play an informative role. Additionally, the Ministry stated that it is and remains in consultation with other authorities and ministries to implement fair pay in their assignments and tenders within archaeology.

According to the sector table, it is doubtful whether archaeologists at government bodies, (public) organizations, and multidisciplinary firms such as engineering agencies can or would want to fall under a sector-specific collective labor agreement. The table welcomes further information on this matter.