Years of increasing work pressure and an employer who, after months of collective bargaining, submits a final offer that does not do justice to the efforts of the employees. Who, even in times of corona, are always ready for their employer and travelers. The employees of HTM are done with it and will stop working all day on Thursday 2 June.

Eric Vermeulen, director of FNV City Transport: 'After the employer also rejected the ultimatum that expired at 12.00:XNUMX today, we can only send a clear signal to the management of HTM.'

The unions issued the ultimatum after employer denied agreements on purchasing power retention, made additional demands and submitted a final offer that was unanimously rejected by members of both unions.

Today, the employer threw extra fuel on the fire, while feelings among the employees had already risen considerably during the difficult negotiations in recent months. Sanne van der Meulen, negotiator CNV Vakmensen: 'The employer casually announces that it will pay out the final offer that she put on the table in February at the end of the month. The same final offer that was massively rejected by members of the unions.'

Vermeulen: 'This employer absolutely does not take its employees seriously and is already trying to sideline the trade unions for the second time. In April by sending a collective labor agreement proposal directly to the employees and now by paying the final offer. Last week I called the collective labor agreement negotiations a soap opera. It is now a very bad soap opera.'

The employees realize that striking automatically entails a nuisance for the public, but also point to the responsibility of the employer. It has been decided that, for the time being, there will be no strikes during the final exams of secondary school students.

In addition to 5% more wages, retention of purchasing power and raising the wage scales by € 100 gross per month, a structural solution must be found for the workload. HTM implemented an efficiency improvement years ago, with the result that tram and bus drivers in particular have to do their work under great time pressure. Vermeulen: 'Sufficient rest is a must for staff who have to transport passengers safely in increasingly busy traffic.'

The current collective labor agreement ran until September 1, 2021. Negotiations for a new collective labor agreement started in November 2021. 1.900 people work at HTM.