The number of strikes in our country is increasing, but scenes such as in France and Greece are not at issue. However, the strikes can have a snowball effect, because strikes are “contagious”.
Due to the sky-high inflation and the increased workload, more and more employees are being urged to strike. Trade unions also feel supported by statements by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) that there is enough room to raise wages.
In addition, the membership of the unions is increasing. “As a result, the trade union movement feels stronger,” says professor by special appointment of Labor Relations Paul de Beer to NU.nl. “There are no mass strikes yet, but from a historical perspective there are many at the moment.”
The counter now stands at fourteen strikes this year, a large number for so early in the year. This week, for example, there was a strike at the coffee factory of Douwe Egberts and aircraft manufacturer Fokker. The cleaning services of Rotterdam and The Hague also stopped work. Amsterdam will follow next week.
‘Staking lights’
This number will continue to increase given the dissatisfaction. According to De Beer, strikes are contagious and strikes can spread to other sectors. Then there is a kind of domino effect. “But this only happens if they are successful,” says De Beer.
Trade union FNV confirms this trend. “Stakings are igniting, especially since last autumn. The strikes at the NS have made employees in other sectors aware that they can also demand higher wages,” says a spokesperson.
CNV chairman Piet Fortuin previously informed NU.nl that he has never signed so many ultimatums as at the beginning of this year. The FNV also sees the number of ultimatums increasing rapidly as a result of the difficult talks at the negotiating table.
Now threat from the hospitals
The threat of strikes is increasing. Earlier this week, for example, the unions issued an ultimatum to the Dutch Association of Hospitals (NVZ). Employers have until 12 noon on Tuesday to prevent a strike in the hospitals.
The willingness to take action is high, says the trade union FNV. The hospital employees do not feel taken seriously by the NVZ. “Our members really mean business. They simply opt for action if the employer does not comply with the demands in the ultimatum. The number of action committees in hospitals is growing by the day. More and more non-members are also saying that they want to take action come,” says driver Elise Merlijn.
But it is not only in hospitals that employers and trade unions are at odds. In the first weeks of this year there will be strikes in various sectors, such as in regional transport, the Bijenkorf, at the drugstore chain Etos, by boas and the aforementioned cleaning services.
Wages are already rising slightly
The unions, meanwhile, continue to persevere by submitting hefty wage demands. The FNV even demands full price compensation, which amounts to a wage increase of 14.3 percent. So far, that’s having some effect as wages are rising.
For example, the wage increases that employers and employees ultimately agree on have been increasing for months. The average wage increase in January was 6.3 percent, which is slightly more than in December. But prices still rose faster in January. According to Statistics Netherlands, inflation was 7.6 percent.
For the time being, therefore, it will continue for a while.
