After weeks of negotiations, ProRail and the unions FNV, CNV and VHS have reached an agreement on a new collective labor agreement.
The negotiation result, which was reached on Friday 29 November, means an end to the uncertainty for both employees and passengers. The unions will present the result to their members in the coming week, with the expectation that the final agreement can be signed on 10 December.
The talks between ProRail and the unions have been difficult in the past period. At the beginning of this week, negotiations were resumed after the unions had expressed criticism about ProRail's earlier final offer. FNV even threatened strikes, which caused a lot of unrest in the rail sector. These strikes have now been definitively cancelled, to the relief of both ProRail and the passengers.
“It is good news that carriers and passengers are no longer affected by actions,” a spokesperson for ProRail said. “We have worked hard together to reach an agreement that is widely supported.”
hard nuts
Although the parties emphasize that the negotiations took place in a constructive atmosphere, the exploratory talks were initially tense. The unions previously made it clear that ProRail's offer did not sufficiently meet their demands, particularly in the areas of wages, workload and employment conditions. Nevertheless did it work this week to persevere and find compromises.
During the talks, a conscious decision was made not to make any substantive statements, both parties confirmed. This was to promote the negotiations and prevent the talks from being fought out via the media. This paid off, because on Friday afternoon an agreement was on the table that all parties could agree to.
Although the agreement is now a fact, the precise agreements remain secret for the time being. According to ProRail, the details of the negotiation result will be shared early next week. It is clear that the unions have confidence in the result.
The unions will put the agreement they reached to their members for a vote next week. According to an FNV spokesperson, it is an important moment: “The members will decide whether we will actually sign, but this result is an important step. It shows that, even after a difficult period, we can find solutions if we continue to talk to each other constructively.”
relief
The agreement reached not only provides peace for the employees of ProRail, but also in the rail sector. Earlier, carriers and passenger organizations warned of the consequences of possible strikes, which could have paralyzed a large part of Dutch rail traffic.
