Trade unions representing the Dutch road transport sector have negotiated a new two-year collective labour agreement that will see truckers’ pay increase by 6.75% over two years. Agreement has also been reached on making parking heaters and air conditioning mandatory in all new trucks from July, while a new pension scheme is to be introduced too.
Tjitze van Rijssel of trade union CNV Vakmensen, who helped to negotiate the agreement, described its signing as “a great day for the 150,000 employees in the transport sector.”
The negotiator added that it wasn’t acceptable that road transport employees were not granted a pay rise during the pandemic:
Wages will increase by 6.75% in two years, there will be an arrangement for retiring earlier and we have made a few nice agreements intended to make working more pleasant. The corona crisis once again showed how crucial the transport sector is. But in the meantime, the employees have been without a pay rise for almost a year and a half. That is of course not acceptable, it rubs on all sides. It is good that we came to an agreement with the employers today. It is a good result as far as we are concerned.
Co-negotiator Linda Slagter, also of CNV Vakmensen, said that the agreement was made possible thanks to strike action and cooperation between unions:
“Without the efforts of the trade unionists who participated in the actions and even strikes, this result would not have been achieved. We are grateful to them for their efforts and commitment.”
The labour agreement is now active and will remain in place until January 1st 2023. It covers numerous different areas as follows:
Wages up 6.75%
Wages in the sector are to rise by 6.75%, in two steps:
- 3.5% from July 1, 2021
- 3.25% from January 1, 2022
Subsistence allowances up 2.7%
Subsistence allowances (particularly important for employees who make longer journeys) will increase by 2.7% from 1st July 2021. It is also important to add that the allowances will also be indexed from 1st January 2022.
Parking coolers and parking heaters mandatory in new vehicles from July 1st
CNV Vakmensen says it has been arguing for better working conditions in truck cabins for years. Van Rijssel has confirmed that parking coolers and parking heaters will be mandatory in new vehicles from July 1st:
On hot days it is often impossible for the drivers in the cabs to tolerate. This results in poor working conditions and even dangerous situations. That is why we have been calling for years that truck cabins must be equipped with a parking air conditioner and parking heater as standard – a system which drivers can properly regulate the temperature. We have finally been able to make a firm agreement on this in the collective labour agreement. As of July 1st, parking heaters and parking air conditioners will be mandatory in all new trucks in which a driver has to spend the daily rest.
As for older vehicles, Van Rijssel is positive about improvements being made there too:
Of course we would have preferred to immediately make an agreement that parking heaters and parking coolers are simply installed in all current trucks. It’s also just a case of being a good employer. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a bridge too far for employers. But I think it is a matter of time, the pressure on employers is increasing when it comes to providing comfortable working conditions. Especially now that many transport companies are desperate for drivers. Of course, those drivers are not crazy either, they are going to make demands. Everyone prefers a car with good facilities.
Working with roll containers
Another part of the agreement concerns health and safety when working with roll containers. An investigation is to be conducted and completed by July 1st 2022 at the latest.
Van Rijssel says the aim is to try and make the work easier and lighter:
The aim is to make the work easier and lighter. The pushing and pulling of heavy roll containers now causes unnecessary back pain and even employee injuries. This is especially the case in retail distribution and the waste and environmental sector.
Retiring earlier
Finally, a new pension agreement will include a scheme that makes it possible to retire earlier. The scheme will take effect on January 1st 2022 and will end on January 1st 2026. A working group is to further develop this scheme, which requires employers to make additional national insurance payments on behalf of the employees.
Photo credit: Rab Lawrence / Flickr
