After strike: VDL NedCar and trade unions again in talks about social plan

Trade unions and NedCar owner VDL will meet again on Monday. That is the outcome of consultations between the unions and their managers at the NedCar car plant in Born on Friday afternoon. "We are moving in the right direction," FNV executive Patrick Meerts said Friday evening.

It seems that the VDL management has made a better offer to the unions for a new social plan that anticipates the expected mass layoffs at Nedcar starting this November. "Work is being done to resolve the conflict," Meerts said. He did not want to say much more about the matter. "It's all still precarious and fragile. We don't want to put any more pressure on the matter."

CNV director Jeroen Bruinsma said that management gave the unions the green light to begin formal negotiations. "We are now waiting for an invitation from VDL to formally return to the negotiating table," he explained.

The works council and unions had previously said that the difference between VDL's offer and the unions' demand was about 20 million euros.

The unions want a better social plan than the current one, which dates back to 2021. The reason is that the contract for the production of MINIs in Born expires at the beginning of next year. There will then be no more work for most of the current 3,950 employees. The disagreement between VDL and the unions over the social plan went so far that the plant has already been on strike for eight days. When negotiations resume, further strikes are likely to be suspended.