Employees of car dealers, garage owners and bicycle companies in Drenthe, Groningen and Friesland resign on Monday and Tuesday, report FNV and CNV. They do this because, according to the trade unions, they are dissatisfied with the collective labor agreement bid of branch organization BOVAG. CNV therefore expects that many companies in the region are closed or understaffed for days and that people may have to wait longer for an APK or bicycle repair.
In recent days, car and bicycle companies put down all the work in the rest of the Netherlands, after regional and national strikes. This week, more than a thousand employees, FNV said. According to CNV, trade union De Unie also participated and will do this again next week.
According to the trade unions, the collective labor agreement for which is stopped applies to more than 84,000 people. At the beginning of this month, the employees of car and bicycle companies also stopped at the TT Circuit in Assen to enforce better working conditions. FNV demands 7 percent wage increase and a collective agreement of one year, CNV wants 6 percent more salary.
Earlier this week, BOVAG said it would stay with a wage increase of more than 3 percent in a collective agreement for a year and a half.
Bovag thinks it is “a pity” that will be stopped again next week, says a spokesperson. “The right to strike is a great asset and it is their right if they choose.” According to him, the trade association wants to go back to the table as quickly as possible with the trade unions to negotiate a collective agreement agreement.