With videoAlbert Heijn has made a new wage offer of 10 percent for the employees of the distribution centers. Trade union FNV says it has indeed received an official offer this morning, but does not yet agree to it because new employees would earn much less during the weekend. The strikes continue.
Albert Heijn reports in a statement that it has made a proposed wage increase of 10 percent, which would take effect on May 22. This would allow the company to meet the requirements of FNV. A company spokeswoman says she is “extremely surprised” that an agreement has still not been reached. “Unions do not want to respond to this, and do not want to come back to the table after repeated calls. As a result, our colleagues, including temporary workers, have to wait even longer for the wage increase that we want to take effect as soon as possible.”
FNV acknowledges that Albert Heijn made a wage offer of 10 percent on Tuesday morning, but that handout is not yet enough for the union. New employees in particular benefit insufficiently, according to the FNV, because they would earn much less during the weekend. “That is unacceptable to us and Albert Heijn knows that very well.”
It is the next chapter in a strike that has been going on for days now, and as a result of which the shelves in Albert Heijn stores are becoming increasingly empty. In the early stages, the unions demanded a 14.3 percent wage increase, which was later weakened to a minimum of 10 percent and no deterioration in working conditions. According to Albert Heijn, this is now being met, and the Sunday allowance would also be retained according to the renewed offer. “Employees keep all the allowances they have.” But according to FNV, this does not apply to new employees.
Read also: Strikes at Albert Heijn: ‘Effect of higher wage costs probably greater than temporarily empty shelves’
Currently, more than 1,000 of the approximately 5,000 employees of the distribution centers are on strike. The impact of the strikes is still most noticeable in the southwest and northeast of the country, where most shelves are empty. This is due to the distribution centers that take care of supplies in these regions, in Zwolle and Pijnacker, where the impact of the strikes seems to be strongest. But the distribution centers in Zaandam, Geldermalsen and Tilburg are also on strike.
When can you strike and when not? (video):
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