According to the trade unions, employers are not yet giving in on the fifth day of strike of regional transport. “Negotiations are at a standstill,” says bus driver Peter de Jonker of the trade union FNV. He is on strike at the Achtersluispolder in Zaanstad. The unions are likely to announce new strikes this afternoon.
“I think that is a sad development, we would also prefer to drive our buses again and transport our passengers again,” says De Jonker. According to the bus driver, this is not possible at the moment. He hopes that this week’s strikes have had some effect. “I hope people wake up.”
The FNV is considering new strikes, which should probably take place at the end of the month. “The best thing would be if you come to a compromise, otherwise other actions will not fail,” says De Jonker. “Of course we can no longer rest on our laurels and leave it at that.”
He thinks it’s annoying for the people who need the bus every day to get to work, for example. “But they also need to know that we also do it for them and that we really just want a normal work package,” says Peter. “That the workload should not be too high and that they can be taken from A to B in a safe way and not by a half-burnt driver.”