“We’re almost done here, you can enjoy the day. So don’t come back until 6 am tomorrow and don’t do any work: that’s how a strike is done,” the unionists ended the strike meeting in Leeuwarden. ING employees gathered there and left work for 24 hours.
It affects employees in customer service and offices in the northeast of the country. They are dissatisfied as there is no new collective agreement for 14,000 employees. ING says it is doing everything it can to keep banking running as usual. According to the bank, there is currently no impact from the strike and all branches are open.
Unions are demanding full inflation compensation of 14.3 percent and a lighter workload. They also want better working relationships. According to them, these have been cut because the profits of 3.7 billion in 2022 will be used for shareholders, not employees. “Then you can be sure that this will undermine employee trust,” says Duygu Akçay, FNV Finance Director.
According to the unions, this is the first 24-hour strike at the bank. About 500 people went on strike, according to FNV, which means that about half of the departments in Leeuwarden today are unmanned.
‘Patience’
Unions had previously organized citizen-friendly actions such as petitions and door-to-door games. “But now your patience is running out, you can no longer speak politely,” Akçay said.
This month, ING offered a salary increase of between 4 and 7 percent from 1 July, depending on salary levels. Next year, at least another three percent salary would be added for everyone.
The bank has also raised the maximum on the pay scale: This means that people who are at the end of the pay scale can continue to rise. The bank also offered a higher mileage allowance. The bank describes the proposal as “definitive and comprehensive”.
According to the unions, other locations in the Netherlands may follow if ING does not meet them.
Source: NOS
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
