>>>So you think a new employee for any full time position should get 10 days of holiday, plus sick leave days, plus 4 weeks of annual vacation?
>>
>>That is pretty much what a regular employee gets here. Paid holidays, even a bonus for holidays (vacation money), unlimited paid sick leave.
>>There is AFAIK, no difference between a new employee or one that works 10 years for the same company.
>>
>>But in our neighbouring country (Germany) things are a lot different.
>
>How are things different in Germany? I haven't been there in like 15 years, so I don't know if anything has changed in the meantime.

Under Schreuder, lots of reforms have been put in place. In the past wages were better in Germany, but that has been turned arround. When it comes to social security (not so much about holidays), Germany went more to a US style. Pensions and minimum wages were lowered. This is one of the reasons Germany is doing economically better than many other european countries, including the Netherlands.

We are now facing the same challenges and conclusions Germany had to draw a decade ago. The Netherlands is getting too expensive, so we have to sober up and get to work.

Walter,