Trade unions CNV and FNV and Albert Heijn are again discussing the collective labor agreement of employees in the distribution centers of the supermarket chain. The strikes in Zaandam, and subsequent empty shelves, are therefore over for the time being.
“You may hear that I also sound a bit more cheerful,” says FNV Handel director Levin Zühlke-van Hulzen on NH Radio. That is because Albert Heijn made a new collective bargaining offer at 1 a.m. last night, which meets most of the demands of the unions. “It meets all the requirements to formally enter into negotiations again,” says Zühlke-van Hulzen. “And that’s why the actions have now been suspended and people are going back to work.”
The employees of various distribution centers, including those in Zaandam, have recently laid off work several times because they want higher wages and no worsening of working conditions. Albert Heijn now also seems to give in on the second point.
The wage offer of 10 percent, which Albert Heijn previously did, remains. Zühlke-van Hulzen explains that the supermarket chain first planned to halve the Sunday allowance. “There was also no certainty that the good elderly scheme that is currently in place would be continued.” It was both intended for new employees. “But yes, thousands of temporary workers work on a temporary contract and of course we don’t want them to be replaced very quickly by new cheaper people.”
Stocking shelves
This is now off the table. In this proposal, Albert Heijn also offers more certainty about the schedules of temporary workers. Although nothing has been agreed yet, the union is now positive about the talks. Zühlke-van Hulzen does not think there will be any strikes in the distribution centers in the near future.
In some places the shelves became increasingly emptier. According to the FNV director, everyone is back to work, but it may take a while before Albert Heijn has the shelves full again. “Obviously, something has to be put on roll containers first, then it has to go into trucks. It has to get to the store and then someone has to put it in the boxes,” he describes the process.