Angry, if not furious, are the ferry skippers of the Maasveren foundation who sail across the Maas between North Brabant and Gelderland. The employment conditions for new employees are being cut back and they are now taking action. Everyone can cross the Maas for free all week.
The action is the umpteenth in a series. The skippers of the five ferries across the Maas have been campaigning against their employer’s plans for about six weeks. Two weeks ago, for example, only students were sailed over and the skippers also refused to pick up the work a number of times. The actions seem to have fallen on deaf ears because the employer is standing firm: new employees mean new working conditions.
The skippers’ requirement is clear: retention of the current collective labor agreement and future colleagues must continue to fall under the same scheme. Now a situation threatens to arise in which new colleagues have to perform the same work under sober conditions. “Then you get a split in the workplace. I want to prevent that at all costs,” says an emotional Herman van Barneveld who sails up and down with his ferry between Megen and Appeltern.
Politicians have also become involved. The SP is asking parliamentary questions and the municipality of Oss is busy looking for an independent negotiator. The ferries are crucial for the area. A detour will easily cost you an extra half an hour to three quarters of an hour.
“The past few weeks have been annoying. I understand the skippers, but if you use the ferries every day, you have to be able to rely on them. That is not possible now,” says a passer-by who crosses the Maas on the ferry.
“We are walking on our gums, because you understand that no new staff will be added now. We already had scheduling problems before the campaigns. Overtime has now become normal, but it has now been enough,” says Herman.