Travelers are the victims of the strikes in regional transport. Unions and employers are fighting hard over wages and tackling work pressure.
The drivers in the regional transport went on strike for a week. That means hardly any buses or regional trains for a week. At least that is what the trade unions FNV and CNV say. According to employers’ association WVOV, half of the buses continue to drive.
Work pressure is an important issue for the unions. “Every time a minute is taken off the timetable. You don’t get those driving times in practice, certainly not in busy traffic. At the end you fall behind and you make up for lost time by taking fewer breaks yourself,” says Erwin Kuiper, director of the trade union FNV.
Sanitary plug
Drivers have been pointing out this workload, where there is hardly any time for a sanitary stop, for example, for years. But the employers are not doing anything about it, the unions say. “The drivers can do nothing if the bus is late. But they do get the angry passengers over them”, says Evert Jan van de Mheen of CNV.
The attitude of the employers has considerably soured the mutual relations, says Van de Mheen. “Confidence in employers is very low. Employers say ‘we are doing our best’, but we don’t see that.” Kuiper confirms that. “There is a lot of chagrin about the workload among the drivers.”
What’s your story? Who saved you from the fire during the regional transport strike?
The bus must also remain affordable
The employers, in turn, have withdrawn their final offer now that the unions are on strike. They offered an eight percent pay rise and three percent wage room for an elderly scheme. Trade union FNV is asking for a total wage increase of 16.9 percent. We really can’t afford that. That eleven percent in total is really the maximum, “said a spokesperson for the employers. “The bus must also remain affordable.”
For the time being, the conflict is deadlocked and neither side intends to be the first to blink. And the passenger is the victim of that. ,,The travelers do not understand”, says Van de Mheen. “We understand that, but we see no other option than to take action.”
Rolling
Perhaps unions and employers should take a look at the metal sector. For years there were heated negotiations and many strikes. But two years ago, social partners came to the conclusion that rolling around in the street was not healthy. Investments have been made in mutual relationships and trust. As a result, last year the collective labor agreement was arranged in a week.
That is not a solution for the conflict in regional transport for now, thinks Professor of Social Law Barend Barentsen. You can also decide in advance to engage a mediator or an arbitrator. But sometimes the conflicts of interest are so great that it has to be fought out.”
And it seems that way, much to the chagrin of travelers who depend on regional transport. But travelers can certainly do something, according to Barentsen. “Passengers whose interests are harmed can go to court. Duping travelers is legally relevant. This can also be done via the traveler organization Rover or, for example, the Consumers’ Association. Employers can also go to court to have the strike banned if the damage is disproportionate. It is up to the court to determine what is disproportionate.”
Watch all our news videos in the playlist below:
Comment can be found at the bottom of this article. Only comments with a full name are placed. We do that because we want a debate with people who stand for what they say, and therefore put their name to it. Those who still need to enter their name can do so by clicking ‘Login’ at the top right of our site.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.
#Bus #drivers #continue #strike #high #work #pressure #conflict #deadlocked