Dimphy Hermans left domestic science school in 1974 and, as a 14-year-old girl without a diploma, went to work for Fokker in Hoogerheide. 49 years later, she still works there. Now it really seems to be coming to an end, but that is not her choice. The parent company GKN Fokker moves Fokker Elmo’s work to Papendrecht and that makes her angry and sad.
She lives with her husband Gerrit within cycling distance of her work. In her living room there is a small display cabinet with all kinds of aircraft models. “We made the cabling for all these aircraft in Hoogerheide. And that really has to be of the highest quality.” The strictest requirements also apply to cable harnesses in aircraft, because a loose cable or plug can have disastrous consequences.
“It really hurts me.”
Dimphy now has to work in Papendrecht, 65 kilometers away, just like her colleagues. “I have experienced seven reorganizations in those 49 years here. I really feel bad that the company is treating us this way. Nowadays you are just a number and they just throw you aside. They just have nothing left for us. It really hurts me.”
On Thursday morning, 350 Fokker Elmo employees went on strike for two days. Dimphy registered as a striker and after the usual union speeches she cycled home. She actually prefers to go to work, but it is now necessary to continue campaigning.
“It’s quite a journey, but I don’t want to miss my colleagues yet.”
Dimphy doesn’t feel like going to work 65 kilometers away in Papendrecht. She wants to travel up and down by bus, but then she needs money, just like her colleagues in Helmond. “It’s quite a journey, but I don’t want to miss my colleagues yet. We have a great team. Moreover, I will have been employed for 50 years in January and you can’t just throw that away. Then go to Papendrecht.”
The Fokker colleagues in Helmond received three extra monthly salaries to work in Papendrecht. The parent company does not see this as an option for the staff in Hoogerheide. “I don’t think that’s fair”, Dimphy sighs. “We do our job here just as well as in Helmond. We want justice,” says Dimphy militantly.
“We hope to find a solution soon.”
In February and March there was also a strike at Fokker Elmo. Mostly women work at the company, almost all of whom live in the immediate vicinity of the company. A total of 850 people work there, including 350 temporary workers.
Parent company GKN Fokker regrets the strikes in Hoogerheide. “We have agreed a good arrangement with the unions for our employees in Hoogerheide and Helmond. We remain open to talks with the unions and we hope to find a solution soon,” the company writes.
According to trade union director Jan Meeder of FNV, a scheme was indeed agreed last year. But according to Meeder, GKN Fokker subsequently agreed with the works council in Helmond that the employees would receive three extra monthly salaries if they came to work in Papendrecht.
The reason would be that the company expects it to be more difficult to find qualified personnel for making landing gear than for making wiring harnesses.
