On the first day of the national strike in regional transport, there seems to be a conflict among bus drivers. Some went on strike this morning, others decided to go to work today. Our reporter Mischa Korzec arrived early at the Connexxion garage in Zaandam, where the drivers were having a cup of coffee.
According to Peter de Jonker of FNV, the atmosphere during this strike among the drivers is not so good. “The atmosphere is grittier.” According to him, this is because their employers have been able to arrange that there are still some buses with drivers today. “That’s just contaminated work for us.”
Stop again though
In previous strikes, the employers’ wage offer was 5 percent. These have now risen to 8. According to the trade union FNV, that is not enough. “We are here for the umpteenth time. Mainly because of the workload, older regulations and because we have to absorb inflation ourselves,” says Jonker.
It is not the first time that strikes have been announced in regional transport this month. In mid-January, the trade union FNV also called for a strike, after the unions and employers failed to reach an agreement during collective bargaining. The strikes then had a limited impact on the regular timetable in the province.
Whether a week-long strike will have more impact, the drivers will have to wait and see. “In any case, we hope that we will receive more respect from our employer. We are now strong with two unions.” And were the unions again unable to come to an agreement with the employers? “Then there will be actions for an indefinite period,” says Jonker.