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The report has been out for a while, employees haven't heard anything.

The report of the Dutch Labor Inspectorate (NLA) about safety on the Qbuzz bus lines between Emmen and Ter Apel (bus lines 72 and 73) seems to have ended up in the drawer of the regional carrier. According to Edwin Kuiper, director of FNV Regional Transport, the report was already sent to the management of Qbuzz in July and a number of measures must be taken before 1 December. But employees haven't heard anything about that yet. Let alone that the content of the report has been shared with them.

According to press officer Yvette de Vries (FNV), the report contains a number of violations of the legislation on working conditions. Qbuzz is also instructed to take measures to ensure adequate safety and health of employees.

"The approach to aggression and violence stands or falls with recognition of the problem. This was lacking at Qbuzz. As a result, the unsafe working situation continued and drivers felt compelled to stop working last year."

The FNV then called in the NLA. According to Kuiper, they not only wanted recognition of the problem, but also long-term solutions that ensure sufficient safety. Even after the letter from the NLA, Qbuzz remained silent. Kuipers indicates that they have not seen any measures, improvements or apologies from the employer. “Especially when it comes to safety, you need an employer who takes things seriously, who stands behind the employees. The trust of the drivers in their employer has been seriously damaged,” said Kde FNV director.

restore confidence

To restore confidence, the FNV requires Qbuzz to ensure that the agreed measures to increase security, including camera surveillance, are implemented. According to Kuiper, the employer should also take up matters that it can solve itself to increase safety. An employer is obliged to provide a safe workplace. FNV states to FNV that a culture change is needed at Qbuzz. “Apologizing for past failures is a first step. Not only to indicate that you will approach things differently in the future, but also to restore the confidence of bus drivers,” said Kuiper in a statement.

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The approach to aggression and violence stands or falls with acknowledgment of the problem.
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