But CNV man Jukema also sees disadvantages: “I think it will be a very exciting year when it comes to personnel.” After the layoffs, a lot of people will soon be in a completely new position within the company. “It all has to work out.”
Groos sees another pitfall if the older generation steps aside: “Quite a lot of people say: I actually want to stop now. The big risk is that you will not get the knowledge and skills passed on to the people who stay.”
Quid pro quo
And as far as the unions are concerned, there is also ‘an open account’ for the employees with the management, says Jukema. There will be collective labor agreement negotiations again next year and ‘Tata Steel can make a splash,’ he announces.
While the threatened layoffs have caused a lot of unrest among staff over the past year, the news emerged that management salaries have increased in recent years. have doubled, to an average of more than one million euros per year. Jukema “Now we at the union naturally think: if management gets a pay increase, then so do the employees.”
Tata will challenge coke plant closure
But another pressing issue also arises for the negotiations: one of the coking factories is in such a poor condition, according to the North Sea Canal Area Supervisor (ODNZKG), that it may take ‘steps to withdraw the permit’. In the coking factories, coal is pre-processed for the steel production process.
Tata Steel had until two weeks ago to do something about the problems at the factory. The environmental department ‘has scheduled inspections’ to check the factory, but does not say when exactly.
However, the factory will not close anytime soon: there are still a number of possibilities to appeal. Van den Berg: “We are trying to improve, but we will not shy away from legal remedies.”
According to the director, the coke factory is essential for various reasons ‘until the moment we go through greening’. Not only because of the coke, which fuels the fire in the blast furnaces, but also because the gas released in the process is used in other factories on the site.