The FNV is threatening a strike at the QSIL glass factory in Winschoten, which will close on June 1, 2024. The union is demanding a higher severance payment for employees than parent company QSIL Group is willing to give. Moreover, FNV and the employer are at odds over the collective labor agreement.
The FNV members have unanimously decided to issue an ultimatum to the employer, says union director Janwillem Compaijen. That will be shipped on Friday. QSIL has until January 2 to meet the demands of the FNV. If the company does not do this, QSIL Winschoten will go ‘down’ a day later for an indefinite period. According to Compaijen, of the 122 employees, 90 are FNV members.
Departure arrangement
The negotiations between the employer and the FNV have not resulted in an agreement on the severance pay for the employees. QSIL adheres to the statutory transition payment, which amounts to one-third monthly salary per year worked. That’s the final offer.
The FNV requires a monthly wage for each year worked. According to Compaijen, this is in line with the previous social plan for the period 2016-2018, when QSIL took over the factory. The FNV director: “The employees have worked there for an average of 24 years. According to QSIL’s proposal, they would then receive eight months’ wages. That is far too little.”
Disagreement
The employer and the union also have a difference of opinion about the collective labor agreement. QSIL wants to retroactively increase the five percent wage increase implemented at the beginning of 2023 to 10 percent due to the unexpectedly high inflation, says the FNV director, but in that case it does not want to do anything more about 2024. In addition to the extra pay increase, the FNV also requires extra salary for next year (until the closure). Compaijen. “4 percent inflation has been predicted for next year.”
The FNV director: “Since QSIL took over the factory seven years ago, a profit of 45 million euros has been made. The parent company has benefited considerably from this. The employees should get something in return.”
Extremely busy
QSIL Winschoten is currently very busy, because customers are still placing last orders. This applies in particular to the Dutch lamp manufacturer Signify (formerly Philips). The ovens cannot be turned off during the strike. However, the production will be made unusable, says Compaijen. “Everything goes into the container.”
The QSIL Group, which took over the factory from Philips in 2016, cites three reasons for the closure: the shrinking market for the types of glass made in Winschoten, the increased prices for the raw material (sand) and the increasing energy rates. According to the parent company, this means there is no future for the factory.