Archaeology chain table continues talks with Ministry of OCW

Chain Table Archaeology continues talks with Ministry of OCW.
On September 4, 2025, a letter was sent from the chain table to the Ministry of OCW about cooperation in the (legal) safeguarding of the fair pay job structure Archaeology. On February 26, 2026, a delegation went to meet with the Ministry and the National Cultural Heritage Agency.

This letter and conversation discussed the possibility of securing a single collective bargaining agreement for archaeology within the Heritage Act. The Ministry is hesitant about legislation, mainly because of the regulatory burden, and wants to explore other options for securing the agreement first. It is possible to have a collective agreement for archaeology that is declared generally binding. The ministry wants to play an informative role in this. In addition, the ministry has stated that it is and will continue to consult with other government agencies and other ministries about introducing fair pay in their contracts and tenders for archaeology.

According to the chain table, it is doubtful whether archaeologists at governments, (public) organizations and multidisciplinary businesses such as engineering firms can or want to be covered by a sector-specific collective bargaining agreement. The table is happy to receive further information.