Railway Strike THE NMBS & THE UNIONS

Cause Two major railway trade unions are dissatisfied by the negotiations with the NMBS-direction about B-cargo, the cargo division of the NMBS NMBS wants to create a private judicial company from B-cargo, but in this new company there will be no place for all 900 employees of B-cargo  redundancy dismissals? The trade unions are protesting against the fact that there is still no clarity about what will happen with all those employees Railway unions now fear some 3000 jobs could be cut as a result Unions fear that B-Cargo will go the same way as ABX. ABX was the NMBS's packages service.

Two major railway trade unions are dissatisfied by the negotiations with the NMBS-direction about B-cargo, the cargo division of the NMBS

NMBS wants to create a private judicial company from B-cargo, but in this new company there will be no place for all 900 employees of B-cargo  redundancy dismissals?

The trade unions are protesting against the fact that there is still no clarity about what will happen with all those employees

Railway unions now fear some 3000 jobs could be cut as a result

Unions fear that B-Cargo will go the same way as ABX. ABX was the NMBS's packages service.

Explanation The cargo compartment of the NMBS, B-cargo is heavily losing profit Results: - 2009: loss of € 188 million - 2008: loss of € 85 million The railway management wants to make from the loss-making B-Cargo an independent unit and cleave it off from the NMBS Negotiations: 1) First instance: scenario where the working conditions were handled heavily 2) Second phase: a total management of the carriage of goods 3) Later: restructuring plans  900 employees dismissed

The cargo compartment of the NMBS, B-cargo is heavily losing profit

Results: - 2009: loss of € 188 million

- 2008: loss of € 85 million

The railway management wants to make from the loss-making B-Cargo an independent unit and cleave it off from the NMBS

Negotiations:

1) First instance: scenario where the working conditions were handled heavily

2) Second phase: a total management of the carriage of goods

3) Later: restructuring plans  900 employees dismissed

Consequence s 1) Strike Strike from Wednesday evening, 4 November 22 hours to Thursday, 5 November 22 hours No freight or passenger trains have run Including the international Thalys and Eurostar trains

1) Strike

Strike from Wednesday evening, 4 November 22 hours to Thursday, 5 November 22 hours

No freight or passenger trains have run

Including the international Thalys and Eurostar trains

2) Cost price: € 5,08 million Total € 1,42 million/day € 341 million * Paid season tickets € 3,66 million/day € 880 million * Support from authorities Working days: 240 Amount Calculation by Unizo: Union of independent enterprisers

2) Cost price:

3) Traffic jam Railway strike forced commuters to seek alternative means of transport  highways around the cities of Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent were jammed as regular rail commuters found alternative ways to get to work If all commuters should have decided to travel by car, traffic would have increased by thirty to fifty percent Forced many people to stay home

3) Traffic jam

Railway strike forced commuters to seek alternative means of transport  highways around the cities of Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent were jammed as regular rail commuters found alternative ways to get to work

If all commuters should have decided to travel by car, traffic would have increased by thirty to fifty percent

Forced many people to stay home

4) Criticism Widespread disruption for commuters Commuters are being held hostage in a conflict that has nothing to do with them The cost of a one-day train strike: € 5 million. National railway company NMBS estimates the cost at € 1 million The unions are making themselves anything but popular with their 24-hour strike Transport organisation TreinTramBus : "The fact that employees at the transport division B-Cargo disagree with restructuring plans should not affect commuter trains as they fall under a different sector”

4) Criticism

Widespread disruption for commuters

Commuters are being held hostage in a conflict that has nothing to do with them

The cost of a one-day train strike: € 5 million. National railway company NMBS estimates the cost at € 1 million

The unions are making themselves anything but popular with their 24-hour strike

Transport organisation TreinTramBus : "The fact that employees at the transport division B-Cargo disagree with restructuring plans should not affect commuter trains as they fall under a different sector”

Solution A negotiated solution with mutual agreement More information from the management of the NMBS railway company over efforts to restructure its cargo unit. Moving the 900 employees to other sections of the NMBS? No more railway strikes from now on …

A negotiated solution with mutual agreement

More information from the management of the NMBS railway company over efforts to restructure its cargo unit.

Moving the 900 employees to other sections of the NMBS?

No more railway strikes from now on

…

The End