FNV Universiteit Leiden
Employee Empowerment!
A university functions best when employees are heard, taken seriously and involved in decisions that affect their work. FNV Universiteit Leiden is putting the workplace back at the centre.
Election programme FNV Universiteit Leiden 2026
In the coming years, Leiden University and its employees will face major challenges. Budget cuts, high workloads, reorganisations and changes within higher education require strong employee participation and a clear voice for employees. Our party stands for good employership, realistic workloads, transparent governance, and a safe and inclusive working environment.
FNV Universiteit Leiden was founded by employees of the university itself. Not a top-down party, but a movement created by employees from within the university. Our positions are based on what employees experience every day in education, research and support services. We represent all university employees, regardless of position, contract type or union membership.
What FNV Universiteit Leiden stands for
Good working conditions and good employment practices
Workloads must be fair and realistic. Structural overtime, unrealistic workloads and continuous pressure on employees should not be considered a normal part of working at the university. If work cannot reasonably be carried out within the available capacity, choices must be made. In addition, we advocate for:
- more permanent contracts;
- equal development opportunities for all employees;
- transparent career paths;
- fair treatment regardless of role or salary scale.
A healthy and pleasant working environment
Every employee deserves a pleasant workplace and a safe working environment. Social safety, physical safety and accessibility are not secondary issues, but essential conditions for functioning well. FNV Universiteit Leiden advocates, among other things, for:
- sufficient permanent workspaces;
- better support for young parents;
- attention to accessibility and neurodiversity;
- an active approach to social safety;
- a culture based on trust rather than control.
A genuinely socially responsible university
Education, research and knowledge sharing must remain central within the university. Policy decisions should support these core tasks, not distract from them. We therefore advocate for:
- the protection of academic freedom;
- critical assessment of international collaborations;
- sustainable choices in policy and operations;
- responsible use of public funds;
- less dependence on external consultancy firms and temporary arrangements.
What FNV has already achieved
FNV Universiteit Leiden is already actively committed to employees within the university. Even without a seat on the University Council, we have achieved visible results in recent years. For example, we have:
- raised awareness of the shortage of lactation rooms and support for young parents;
- actively contributed to actions against budget cuts in higher education;
- put pressure on the university to retain compensation for PhD thesis printing costs;
- supported employees facing problems in the workplace;
- helped negotiate a new collective labour agreement for Dutch universities.
Why vote for FNV Universiteit Leiden?
We combine unique trade union expertise with close involvement in the daily reality of the workplace. Our candidates come from both education and research as well as support services, and together form a broad representation of the university community. We stand for:
- a strong voice for employees;
- fair and transparent decision-making;
- cooperation between the workplace and university governance;
- practical solutions instead of management jargon;
- a university where employees come first.