{"id":149103,"date":"2024-11-11T19:44:16","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T09:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=57804"},"modified":"2024-11-11T19:44:16","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T09:44:16","slug":"the-netherlands-now-also-faces-union-actions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=149103","title":{"rendered":"The Netherlands now also faces union actions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dutch trade union FNV has announced work stoppages on the Dutch railway network. It is pleading for a 13 per cent wage increase for employees of the infrastructure manager ProRail. The protest actions will likely affect rail freight traffic, and branch association RailGood has come out in opposition of wage increases.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>The first three-hour work stoppage is taking place on Monday 11 November at Kijfhoek, the country\u2019s largest shunting yard. Five more work stoppages with a duration of three hours are planned in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

Jelle Rebbers, communication manager of DB Cargo Netherlands, tells RailFreight.com that there is some uncertainty surrounding the extent of their impact on rail freight, but that there likely will be some setbacks. On 11 November, rail transportation in the Port of Rotterdam, on the Betuwe line and most other rail freight transport routes will be down for three hours, in addition to two hours of traffic downscaling before and traffic upscaling afterwards. It also will not possible to shunt in the Rotterdam port, rail freight branch organisation RailGood writes on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n

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Planned work stoppages by the FNV:<\/strong><\/p>\n

– Kijfhoek shunting yard\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 11 November, 13:00 \u2013 16:00<\/p>\n

– Amsterdam\/Alkmaar\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 13 November 6:00 \u2013 9:00<\/p>\n

– Utrecht\/Amersfoort\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 15 November 6:00 \u2013 9:00<\/p>\n

– Rotterdam\/Den Haag\/Roosendaal\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 18 November 6:00 \u2013 9:00<\/p>\n

– Eindhoven\/Maastricht\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 20 November 6:00 \u2013 9:00<\/p>\n

– Zwolle\/Groningen\/Arnhem\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a022 November 6:00 \u2013 9:00<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

‘A full supermarket cart’<\/h2>\n

\u201cFNV wants a wage increase of 13 per cent\u201d, the trade union says. \u201cThat sounds like an enormous percentage, but the last labour agreement was signed right before a huge peak in inflation.\u201d It wants to correct that peak, FNV explains. \u201cAfter all, we want employees of ProRail to be able to put as many products in their supermarket cart as earlier. Maintaining purchasing power is the most important argument for that 13 per cent demand\u201d, a union representative said.<\/p>\n

Not only ProRail, but also rail freight association RailGood outright dismiss that demand. Hans-Willem Vroon, director of RailGood, says that such a wage increase would be \u201cfatal\u201d for the sector. He explains that ProRail\u2019s wages are already relatively high, and that they are fully paid by carriers.<\/p>\n

Those carriers cannot carry the extra burden of higher wages, according to Vroon. \u201cPeople are having to leave their jobs at freight operators. They are deep in the red.\u201d Vroon does not welcome FNV\u2019s actions at this time. \u201cThe problem is that they are asking for the jackpot at an already difficult time for parties that are not on the state [financial] IV. This is exactly the kind of setback that we can\u2019t have right now. Together with Germany, we are starting to look like France.\u201d<\/p>\n