VDL has reached a possible breakthrough with the trade unions about the future of Nedcar.
VDL Nedcar, or the entire Dutch car industry, is in dire straits. Their biggest – and only – customer is leaving and the staff isn’t very motivated either. The atmosphere has not improved recently, with various strikes as a result.
Entirely in line with expectations, VDL Nedcar recently announced that there will be a large-scale round of layoffs. They will scale back from two shifts to one shift. That means that about half of the staff can be thanked for their services.
A total of 3,950 employees currently work at VDL Nedcar. Of these, 1,800 will be laid off, which amounts to more than 45% of the staff. This concerns 1,000 own employees and 800 temporary workers. The phasing out will start from November 1.
BMW will undoubtedly not be happy with all those strikes, because VDL is now well behind. There is already a backlog of 3,800 cars, according to the unions. That still has to be eliminated and soon another 4,000 Minis will be added, including the limited Mini Electric Convertible.
Production for BMW will end in 2024. It is not yet clear what VDL Nedcar will do next. In February it was announced that a letter of intent had been signed with the German ElectricBrands, but that has not yet been finalised.
View secret document
There is a bright spot for the staff of the Dutch car factory. The works council (or) of the factory is allowed to view a secret BMW document. The BMW Group wants to stop building MINIs early. Because there is still a contract, it had to be bought off. By viewing the secret document, it can be determined whether part of that money will end up with the employees who will soon be out of work. For example, there will soon be some form of compensation for the staff.
However, there are strict conditions attached to the access. Regular personnel should absolutely not see the document. It goes without saying that making copies or photos thereof is prohibited. Only the works council has access to the document. If VDL does not meet the conditions, the Dutch car factory can be fined 10,000 euros.
Breakthrough
In the talks between VDL and the trade unions, there is talk of a possible breakthrough. CNV director Jeroen Bruinsma says that VDL is prepared to take major steps. That could mean good news for Nedcar staff.
Bruinsma spoke to hundreds of strikers this morning at a meeting a stone’s throw from the Limburg factory. The director called for confidence in the process and hope for a good solution.
Officially, nothing has been announced yet about a breakthrough and what this means for the staff. However, an agreement seems close.
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