ANP
NOS News•today, 2:02 PM•Adjusted today, 5:00 PM
Chipmaker NXP in Nijmegen is on strike today for higher wages. And according to the company, it is precisely this strike that can have consequences for new investment plans in the Netherlands.
This has further strained relations between NXP and the trade unions. The FNV trade union said in a response that it was not impressed by NXP’s warning and that it could not even rule out a follow-up strike.
Negotiations between FNV and the NXP have been going on for months. The union demands that the 3,000 employees receive a salary increase of 9 percent. But the chipmaker does not want to go further than 4 percent.
“The fact that management does not want to share the cake with the people on the work floor is a painful observation and shows little sign of appreciation,” says Bernard van Iren, director at FNV. “Staking is an ultimate means to change the minds of the top of the company.”
Bad image
A spokesperson for NXP emphasizes that no concrete investments will disappear in the Netherlands. However, strikes over wages could be a reason not to make future investments in the Netherlands, the spokesperson said. “The strike is not good for the image. Our international management also sees that. They also hear the stories about the strike and the deteriorating business climate.”
NXP believes that the business climate in the Netherlands has been deteriorating for a long time. “The strike is now coming on top.” The manufacturer is not happy with the relaxation of the expat scheme. The political sentiment to focus on more Dutch-language education also causes concerns for the chip maker.
More and more companies are concerned about the business climate in the Netherlands. For example, chip machine maker ASML is considering making new investments outside the Netherlands. Last week it emerged that the government has set up a task force to keep ASML for the Netherlands. Dredging group Boskalis has opened a new office in Abu Dhabi and says it is considering a complete move abroad.
Not a little deserved
The strike at NXP is not widely supported. Trade unions CNV, De Unie and VHP2 are not participating. “I don’t think NXP deserves this,” says negotiator John Kapteijn of the trade union De Unie. “We achieved an excellent result last year. It is a bit strange to say that another 9 percent can be added. Let’s not pretend that very little is being earned there.” The trade unionist expects that he can reach agreements with NXP.
The chipmaker plans to discuss salaries with the other three unions. According to NXP, less than 10 percent of the staff in Nijmegen are on strike.
2024-03-12 16:00:41
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