ANWB staff strike for 12 hours on Monday

ANWB staff will stop work for twelve hours on Monday in a dispute between the unions FNV and CNV and management over a new collective labour agreement (cao). The court has ruled that at least 12.5% of the Wegenwacht, the ANWB's roadside assistance service, must keep working.

Why it matters

1. ANWB members with a breakdown on Monday will mostly have to do without roadside assistance.
2. The unions FNV and CNV must ensure the minimum staffing level is met.

ANWB management had asked the court to require 70% of Wegenwacht staff to work. It argued that a high minimum is needed to prevent unsafe situations, and that it has agreements with Rijkswaterstaat, the national roads agency, on removing vehicles from unsafe spots.

The court agreed that safety must be protected but found 70% too high. It ruled that 12.5% is enough to handle the highest-priority incidents, such as cars stranded in dangerous places, quickly and safely.

The unions say the safety risk is limited. Rijkswaterstaat removes most vehicles on motorways and N-roads, they say, and 53 salvage companies in the Netherlands can be called in.

FNV official Paul Lathouwers said the ruling does not affect the strike. “This is a ruling we can work with, and it means we can organise the strike properly on Monday,” he said. The unions say they will abide by it.