Netherlands: cleaning agents on strike

Negotiations for the next collective agreement covering cleaning agents are at a standstill: unions fixed an ultimatum on January 1 for the OSB employers’ organization to accept their conditions.  They are calling for compensation for employees who get sick, even for less than two days, and for efforts in terms of continuous education – “the minimum and perfectly standard requests” according to the Federation of Netherlands Unions and Allies (FNV Bondgenoten).  The Federation of Cleaning and Office Services Employers (Ondernemerosrganisatie Schoonmaak en Bredifsdiensten, OSB) is rejecting these measures and denouncing unions’ ‘unrealistic attitude.’  It says that their claims would cost €200 million a year, i.e. a 12 percent increase for employees.  Employers are willing to make an effort up to €50 million, i.e. a 3 percent increase.  The last collective agreement for cleaning agents was already subject to a long social conflict.  It was signed in April 2010 after nine weeks of strike – the toughest social dispute in the Netherlands since 1933 (see our dispatch No.  100338).  Employees got a 3.5 percent increase over two years.  The new strike, which started today, January 2, should last for several days.  The FNV and Allies announced that mobilization would be even more “massive” than in 2010.  There should be a demonstration on January 5 in Amsterdam.