Trade unions have been complaining for some time about the difficult conditions in which staff have to work on the coast.
The strike at De Lijn is causing serious disruptions on the coast and in the Westhoek. Only one in ten coastal trams will run today, causing major inconvenience for travelers who want to use public transport. The action, initiated by the staff, is a response to the ongoing problems within the company, such as a shortage of employees and the increasing workload.
Especially in the summer season, when the number of tourists increases sharply, the shortage of staff becomes painfully apparent. De Lijn employees report that the pressure to maintain the timetable has become untenable. In addition, there are technical problems with the coastal tram, which means that it has to run slower than normal on various routes. This not only slows down trips, but also makes the schedule difficult to maintain. When drivers try to catch up on delays, unions say they are monitored and sometimes even reprimanded, further adding to staff frustration.
In addition, there is a problem with the payment of overtime, caused by a new computer system that does not function properly. This has led to additional dissatisfaction among staff, who not only feel overloaded, but also undervalued. The unions have repeatedly expressed their concerns and looked for solutions, but according to them, the measures taken by management are insufficient.
The management of De Lijn has tried to change the unions' minds and prevent the strike, but these attempts have been without success. “We had hoped that the negotiations would lead to a different result and that the action would not go ahead,” Frederic Wittouck, spokesperson for De Lijn, told the Flemish news channel VRT NWS. He emphasizes that management is concerned about the impact of the strike on travelers, but that the situation is what it is. “We try to offer the best possible alternative, but this inevitably causes inconvenience for the traveler. We deeply regret that.”
During negotiations between management and the unions, which took place until August 7, an attempt was made to reach a compromise.
Although progress was made in some areas, the core problems were not resolved. This led to the decision of the trade union front to continue with the strike action, much to the disappointment of the management. The strike coincides with a busy period on the coast, where many tourists depend on public transport. Management acknowledges that this will lead to significant disruptions and expresses its regret about the impact on holiday traffic.
In response to the strike, De Lijn is working on an alternative service, which will be available on their website. Travelers are advised to use the route planner, stop page or line page on the website to plan their trip. By entering August 14 as the travel date, travelers can see which rides are running and which are not. Trips that are deleted will not appear in the route planner.
However, De Lijn warns that there may be minor differences between the timetable communicated in advance and the actual situation on the day of the strike. They apologize for the inconvenience caused by the strike action and hope that travelers will understand the situation.
