Court allows ANWB strike but keeps roadside patrols running

ANWB staff can stop work for twelve hours on Monday, but the Wegenwacht (roadside assistance) cannot be shut down completely. The judge in the summary proceedings ruled the strike lawful, but said a limit is justified because keeping the roads safe is an urgent public necessity.

The judge set minimum staffing at 12.5% for the Wegenwacht, far below the 70% the ANWB demanded. The alarm centre must keep 85% of staff, as the ANWB asked. The judge said 12.5% is enough to handle top-priority incidents, such as cars stranded in dangerous places, safely and quickly.

The unions FNV and CNV organised the strike because talks on a new collective labour agreement (cao) have stalled. If too few staff choose to work, the unions must call on members to go in. Earlier actions were designed so ANWB members would notice little, but did not have the effect the unions wanted.

The ANWB went to court because it feared stranded motorists could not be helped and that chaos would spread on the roads. It wanted the 70% figure to prevent dangerous situations.

FNV official Paul Lathouwers called the ruling workable: "This is a workable ruling that lets us organise the strike well on Monday." He said the unions will abide by it. According to FNV, capacity stays available to secure vehicles in dangerous places when needed, phones will still be answered and regular emergency services remain available for acute emergencies.