In autumn 1997, trade unions and works councils are opposing plans for regional cooperation between Dutch Railways and regional transport companies, as they fear job losses and less employment security.
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In autumn 1997, trade unions and works councils are opposing plans for regional cooperation between Dutch Railways and regional transport companies, as they fear job losses and less employment security.
Dutch Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, NS) is planning to establish a number of joint ventures with regional transport companies. One such venture has already been in existence in the north-eastern province of Friesland since January 1997. This project combines rates for rail, bus and taxi transport into a single system.
The works council of NS opposes these kinds of joint ventures, fearing that they will provide an opportunity to cut jobs. In July 1997, the works council succeeded in preventing a joint venture in the province of North Holland. Earlier this year, the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court ruled that NS should not have made its decision to sign a declaration of intent with the regional transport company before having asked its works council for advice.
NS intends to transfer its regional employees to these joint ventures. The works council is afraid that the position of these NS employees will become weaker as a result. For example, since NS redundancy schemes are quite generous, transferral will offer less security to them.
NS has stated that the establishment of joint ventures is the only way it can qualify for transport concessions in the future. Beginning in 1998, the Government will contract out such concessions to stimulate further competition in public transport. NS's virtual monopoly position will then be exposed to direct competition from powerful foreign companies such as the USA-based Vancom and the French company, CGEA, which recently acquired Lovers Rail, NS's first competitor in passenger rail transport.
During the first week of October 1997, members of the most important trade unions at NS declared that they oppose the transfer of employees to separate joint ventures. Union spokespeople stated that their mere establishment is itself premature. Such a move should be considered only after the cabinet has made its decision on introducing competition into the railway sector. The question of whether to transfer personnel can therefore be addressed only at a much later stage.
This has not been the only source of conflict within NS. In the first week of October, for example, traffic controllers in the central region of the Netherlands threatened to go on strike if nothing was done to reduce their workload. Only shortly before the end of October did NS succeed in meeting the terms of their ultimatum.
Eurofound doporučuje citovat tuto publikaci následujícím způsobem.
Eurofound (1997), Impending dispute on Dutch Railways, article.
