It appears that VDL’s management has made a better offer to the unions for a new social plan, which anticipates the mass redundancies expected at Nedcar from November this year. “We are working on a solution to the conflict,” Meerts said. He didn’t want to say much more about it. “Everything is still precarious and fragile. We do not want to put any further pressure on the matter.’
NVC director Jeroen Bruinsma said leaders had given unions the green light to open formal talks. “We are now awaiting an invitation from VDL to formally return to the table,” he said. The works council and the unions have previously stated that the difference between VDL’s supply and the unions’ demand is around 20 million euros.
The unions want a better social plan than the current one, which dates from 2021. They point out that the contract for the production of MINI in Born expires early next year. There will therefore be no work for most of the current 3950 employees. The differences of opinion on the social level between the VDL and the unions have become so intense that the factory has now been on strike for eight days. If negotiations resume, further strikes are likely to be called off.