“This strike should not have been necessary,” says bus driver and FNV member Martijn Mulder at the bus shed in Emmen. Here, union members have set up a party tent where members can sign up for the strike. “We want more money,” Mulder explains the dissatisfaction among the drivers. “Due to corona, there has been a zero line in recent years. In three years we have gained 2.8 percent. If you spread that over that period, it is nothing at all.”
In addition, the drivers find the workload too high. “That is one of our spearheads. Yesterday, for example, I drove a ride from Scheemda to Winschoten. Then you arrive there and you have a minute to unload the passengers, load new passengers and then you have to leave again. “After a two-hour drive, you also want to go to the toilet. If you come back from the toilet, you leave almost five minutes late.”
Mulder also believes that bus transport is being squeezed. “Lines are being deleted, such as city line 1 in Emmerhout. A regional bus passes by a few minutes before the city bus drives through the district. Do you find it strange that there is no one on the city bus? We are very angry about that. management finally listen, otherwise we will be here again next week.”