UPDATETrade unions and employers in regional transport have reached a negotiation result on a new collective labor agreement. The employees receive a structural 15 percent increase in wages over 27 months and a one-off payment of a thousand euros. Measures will also be taken to reduce the workload. The actions are therefore off the track.
This is what negotiator Marijn van der Gaag of the FNV trade union told ANP. He says he is “satisfied” with the result. “In terms of pay rise, we are taking very good steps.” He emphasizes that the deal still has to be presented to the members. According to him, the CNV trade union has also agreed to the negotiation result that has been concluded with the employers’ organization VWOV.
In recent months, mainly drivers from companies such as Arriva, Keolis, EBS and Qbuzz have repeatedly stopped work. As a result, many buses were canceled every time, resulting in inconvenience for travelers. The collective bargaining conflict in regional transport revolved around wage increases, among other things. Given the high inflation, the unions wanted much more extra pay than the employers said they could offer.
It was also important for the unions that the workload goes down. Agreements have also been made about this, according to Van der Gaag. For example, there will be extra breaks and improvements to the schedules. About 13,000 people fall under the regional transport collective agreement.
Now that an agreement has been reached, months of actions in regional transport come to an end. “This has been achieved by the members and everyone who supported the actions. By reducing the workload, we ensure that there is room for normal breaks in the schedules and working in regional transport becomes more attractive again,” says Van der Gaag.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.