Trade unions FNV and CNV will soon resume negotiations with Albert Heijn for a new collective labor agreement for distribution employees. The strikes at the distribution centers of the supermarket chain have therefore been suspended. Both sides announced this on Wednesday night.
The new consultation round, which will probably start on Monday, follows an improved offer from Albert Heijn. The company not only offers a 10 percent wage increase, but has also stated that it is willing to maintain the terms of employment for current and new employees. Proposed deteriorations would thus be off the table, as the unions demanded.
According to the FNV this means, among other things, that new employees are also entitled to a 100 percent allowance for working on Sundays, and that new employees are entitled to the scheme that makes it possible to retire early.
Read also: The strikes at the distribution centers affect Albert Heijn in the heart. ‘We will continue until all demands are met’
In addition, Albert Heijn will make agreements with temporary employment agencies about the rosters of temporary workers. According to the FNV, this means that rosters will soon be determined two weeks in advance and that working in multiple shifts per week will be severely limited.
Guide
Albert Heijn presented the guide on Wednesday evening. “Thanks to the pressure of all strikers, Albert Heijn was finally willing to comply with our demands to come back to the table,” CNV director Roel van Riezen told the ANP. “I expect that we will soon be out as far as the other points are concerned.”
Shefania Sewbaks, director of FNV Handel, is also optimistic. “We are hopeful that we can achieve a good result with Albert Heijn on the basis of the current offer. Albert Heijn employees have shown how important and indispensable they are.”
The promotions at the Albert Heijn distribution centers started last Sunday. They became more and more noticeable in the supermarkets of the group. Customers were confronted with empty shelves. According to the FNV, about 1,500 employees have been on strike at five of the six distribution centers in the past four days. Further strikes were planned in Zaandam, Zwolle, Geldermalsen, Pijnacker and Tilburg. They will not continue for the time being.
Albert Heijn is happy with the suspension of the promotions. “We are now working with all colleagues to restock our stores properly so that all our customers can do their shopping with us again as they are used to,” the company said.