Employees have been on the job more and more in recent weeks. Many strikers demand higher wages to compensate for the loss of purchasing power due to rising prices. The increased workload is also a problem in more and more sectors. NU.nl spoke to a number of strikers about their motives.
Stijn Kerkhove, driver and loader of a garbage truck in Utrecht
“I’m going on strike for the first time on Tuesday, because the water is now up to my lips and also many colleagues. The energy bill is high, the groceries are becoming more expensive. We need a significant wage increase to compensate for that.”
“It’s nice work that the citizens are happy with. We also get a lot of appreciation. Especially during the corona crisis, when we continued to work without complaining while half of the Netherlands was renovating or emptying the attic. We just came to collect the bulky waste. I hope that our employer will still come across the bridge with a substantial wage increase, so that we can call off the strike.”
Olaf Jansen, bus driver in Harderwijk
“The high workload is the last straw for many drivers, it’s not just about the money. The driving times are wrong, the breaks are too short and there is a huge staff shortage. Absenteeism is at 20 percent for a reason.”
“Due to the shortage of drivers, we cannot take leave. In addition, we are asked to drive extra journeys. It is impossible.”
Leonieke Bremer, works at Etos in Apeldoorn
“I like the work. Advising clients gives me enormous satisfaction. But I wouldn’t be able to get by on the salary alone.”
“I now live together and then we can make ends meet, but I wouldn’t be able to live on my own from this wage if my relationship ends. Then I have to go back to my mother. More colleagues are affected by this and that’s why I decided to to strike.”
Tjomme van Zwet, works in youth care in North Holland
“I never thought about going on strike before, but it was no longer possible to do my job properly. The workload is high. Many people drop out with a burnout or leave the sector to start their own business.”
“I have reduced my working week to sixteen hours. Otherwise I will fall over. The strike ultimately resulted in higher wages. But money is not everything, that does not solve the other problems in the sector.”