“In the settlement there are ambiguities about who is now responsible for what, and they must be resolved,” says the trustee of the trustees. “We also have an interest in that.”
Yesterday the two parties faced each other in court about whether the company has all the correct information. According to the paper factory, that information is needed for new investments, but the trustees argue that it cannot simply be provided because of the privacy legislation. The judge will rule on 11 August.
Social business
Crown van Gelder has been a well-known employer in Noord-Holland for decades, in particular because of its social character. A former employee told NH News about this in 2023: “You could choose: or to the blast furnaces or to the paper factory.”
That social character, the factory sponsored local foundations such as the coach of Friends of Velsen-Noord Foundation, is also under more pressure due to the financial situation. Plans to support charities such as Tommy Tomato, which organizes school breakfasts, are in the refrigerator again, according to Kaptijn.
What remains is the solidarity, says the chairman of the works council. Last week, employees also demonstrated at the Zuidas law firm. “All employees who were with us have freely asked. We do it together for the company.”