NOS News•today, 10:23 PM
Bus drivers in the Twente region are not allowed to strike on Monday. The Central Netherlands District Court determined this in summary proceedings that transport company Arriva had filed against the FNV trade union.
It is still unclear how the judge arrived at the ruling. Because this is a so-called upside-down judgment due to the necessary haste, both parties will not receive a detailed version of the judgment until next week.
Dissatisfaction
Employees of regional transporter Arriva in Twente are not happy with the high workload. Because consultations about other driving and rest times did not yield concrete results, FNV called on bus drivers to stop work for 24 hours on Monday.
The union had already threatened strikes in February, but then Arriva promised to adjust drivers’ schedules. According to the union, this has still not completely happened after two months.
The dissatisfaction among drivers arose at the end of last year when Arriva took over bus transport from Keolis. According to the unions, old working agreements between the drivers and Keolis regarding driving and rest times were not fully adopted. The rest periods, which fell outside the collective labor agreement, were completely canceled by Arriva. According to the FNV, absenteeism due to illness has increased enormously, to approximately 30 percent.
FNV: ‘Bals’
FNV says it is disappointed with the ruling. “Employees are in a precarious position and drive around with very unhealthy work schedules. The employer has promised several times to improve the situation. But it is always postponed,” says union director Marijn van der Gaag.
The union says it is now talking to the bus drivers about other measures. “We will adhere to the judge’s ruling and will not strike on Monday.”
Arriva: ‘Looking ahead’
“We are happy with this statement,” Arriva said in a response to NOS. “Especially because our travelers are not confronted with this strike. From now on, we can continue to work towards a suitable service package for after the summer holidays as quickly as possible, looking ahead.”
The carrier says it hopes that the ruling will “bring peace to the workplace”.
