Regional transport bus and train personnel are preparing to strike again. FNV and CNV announced that the time given to employers is over.
The Dutch Federation of Workers (FNV) and the National Christian Union (CNV), demanding a raise in the salaries of personnel working in regional transport companies, announced that new strikes in the coming days could not be avoided. According to the unions, there has been no response yet to the warning sent to the employer, which has until Monday.
According to Fred Kagie, president of the Public Transport Employers’ Association (VWOV), the warning sent, along with the threat of a strike, hindered any bargaining talks for more collective bargaining agreements.
FNV requests a 16.9 percent salary increase for a one-year collective bargaining agreement, while CNV requests a 14 percent salary increase for an 18-month period.
Fred Kagie, on the other hand, states that there is not enough financial support for this increase and states that VWOV has offered an 8 percent salary increase.
As it is known, the collective bargaining negotiations between the unions and employers, covering approximately 13 thousand employees, primarily bus drivers, have come to a dead end. Before the strikes began, ultimatums were issued by both employers and unions. Unions threatened to strike if their demands were not met.
At the beginning of February, personnel working in public transport in different regions of the country went on strike. In addition to large collective bargaining agreements, collective bargaining negotiations involving smaller and more than one transportation companies have also come to a dead end. Around 1,300 people working at companies that offer both train and bus transport, such as Arriva and Keolis, also went on strike.
In the statement made by the unions, it was stated that one out of every 5 people was sick due to the workload as well as the salary increase during the strikes. VWOV noted that this figure is one out of every 10 people.
The strike will most likely begin on February 22
Staff at Arriva, Transdev (including Breng, Overal, IJsselmond region), Qbuzz (including U-OV), EBS, Keolis (including Syntus Utrecht and Allgo), RETObusleri, Hermes and Connexxion are expected to join the strike, which is scheduled to begin Wednesday next week.
In the news on the subject on the 9292OV website, it was stated that HTM in Den Haag, RET (Tramway and metro) in Rotterdam and GVB staff in Amsterdam are included in a different collective bargaining agreement, so they will not go on strike. In addition, it was noted that there will be no disruption in NS trains.