Employees of facilities contact center Transcom in Groningen will go on strike for one day on Thursday, August 27. It is the first time that a strike has taken place at a facilities contact center in the Netherlands, according to the unions.

 

The strike is a protest against Transcom's refusal to agree on a decent social plan for the approximately 150 employees who will lose their jobs due to the closure of the branch. The action is organized by CNV and FNV.

The employees reject Transcom's final offer for the social plan. According to the unions, the proposal does not do justice to the consequences of the job losses and the employees' years of dedication. Transcom is insisting on severance pay based on the statutory compensation with a surcharge factor of 1,2, whereas within the customer contact sector, agreements with a factor of 1,7 have often been reached during comparable reorganizations. CNV advocates for an arrangement that at least aligns with what is customary elsewhere in the sector.

The FNV is demanding, among other things, a termination payment of 2,4 times the transition payment, with a minimum of €7.500, up to €5.000 for outplacement and €5.000 for training. The union also wants a better pension scheme for employees aged 55 and over and exemption from work following declaration of redundancy.

“The employees’ message is clear: this social plan falls short,” says CNV board member Roderik Mol. “Transcom is choosing to close the Groningen plant. That entails the responsibility to guide employees to new work in a decent manner. The company is currently failing to take that responsibility sufficiently. This is not a situation where the company cannot pay. It is a situation where the company chooses not to. Employees feel this as a kick in the teeth, and that hurts,” says Mol. “You can move work. You cannot move responsibility for the people who have been doing that work for years.”

The unions published a joint earlier today opinion piece in De Volkskrant.

According to the CNV trade union, it is particularly bitter that the work is not disappearing, but is being moved to Spain to achieve better margins. It is also disheartening that Transcom presents positive results in recent quarterly reports, while employees who have contributed to that success for years are forced to settle for a meager social plan. Employees previously signed a petition almost unanimously demanding a better social plan. That petition was presented to Transcom's management, but it was not a reason for them to enter into talks with the unions.

With this action, employees aim to pressure Transcom to return to the negotiating table and reach a better social plan after all. CNV and FNV remain willing to enter into discussions on this matter. Under the ultimatum, the employer has until Wednesday 11:59 PM to respond to the demands.

Transcom intends to cease operations at the Groningen branch as of November 1, potentially resulting in approximately 150 employees losing their jobs. The only account still served by Transcom is Odido, although work was previously also carried out for Apple.

(Ziptone, CNV, FNV)

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