Union demands fund to help working parents now teaching their kids, other workers in trouble

Trade union CNV is pleading for a temporary emergency fund to help employees who are having trouble working due to the current coronavirus measures. These involve working parents who now have to teach their kids, informal carers who are unable to work due to increased care responsibilities, workers who are at risk of the virus, and employees with vulnerable people in their households, NU.nl reports,

According to the union, hundreds of thousands of employees are facing difficulties due to the measures in place to curb the spread of Covid-19. "We are being called by employees who have to go to work despite having a cold or fever. Completely in violation fo the RIVM guidelines," the union said. Other calls involve being unable to both work and teach their kids, or care for a sick family members.

A survey among CNV members showed that 6 percent of employees say their employer does not take sick reports seriously. That converts to half a million workers. Just as many respondents said their employer is forcing them to take vacation days.

"In the first few weeks, employers still understood the situation of employees, but patience for the personal situation of employees is slowly running out," CNV chairman Piet Fortuin said to the newspaper. This current situation is unsustainable and a solution is needed quickly, the union said, to prevent hundreds of thousands of employees and their families ending up in financial trouble.