Most of the bus drivers in Eindhoven are on strike this Saturday, says FNV director Marijn van der Gaag. “Only one bus has left since six o’clock this morning,” he said around eight o’clock. “Most bus drivers will join the strike.”
Just like those in Venlo, the drivers in Eindhoven stop working because they want a higher wage and less work pressure. “The timetables for bus drivers are very heavy,” says Van der Gaag. “There is a shortage of staff and absenteeism is increasing enormously. In the meantime, timetables are being planned more and more and there is a lot of pressure on the breaks.”
Thirty bus drivers present
In total, about eighty bus drivers have been scheduled in Eindhoven. Around eight o’clock, thirty bus drivers were present at the location of the strike. “We chose the weekend because we don’t want to bother students with a strike during their final exams,” explains Van der Gaag. “But we really wanted to send out a signal now.” The strike will last until noon on Saturday afternoon.
This is the third strike in a national relay for a better collective labor agreement for regional transport. Previously, strikes were held in the northeast of the country. Last Saturday, about seventy percent of the regional buses were not running in Haaksbergen, Enschede and Hengelo. There were also fewer buses on the road in Tilburg at the time.