Fokker Elmo is a pioneer in the aerospace and defense industry. Employees of Fokker Elmo in Hoogerheide will expand their strike actions. They will lay off work on Thursday and Friday. They feel that they are treated unfairly compared to their colleagues in Helmond. Fokker will close both branches later this year. They will move the work to Papendrecht. But staff in Helmond receive thousands of euros more to move with than their colleagues in Hoogerheide.
More than 200 people left work for 24 hours on February 14 and March 16. It was mainly women who almost all live in the vicinity of the company. The upcoming action is a 48-hour work stoppage.
According to FNV Metaal, the Fokker management does not meet the demands of the staff. “They still don’t see that there is unequal appreciation. Our members of Fokker Elmo really don’t like this,” says Jan Meeder of the union. The staff in Helmond will receive an extra three months’ salaries if they move to Papendrecht. And that does not apply to the employees in Hoogerheide.
‘Easier to replace’
Meeder claims that an equal arrangement had previously been agreed for all staff. “But the management apparently thought and thinks it is normal to do something extra for people at Landing Gear in Helmond when it suits them,” says the union administrator. “Then they tell the people at Elmo that they are not going to do anything extra here, because Elmo employees are easier to replace.”
Parent company GKN Fokker – as with previous strikes – does not elaborate on the announced action. The company refers to the earlier reaction: “We regret that the unions have called a strike at Fokker Elmo. We have agreed a good relocation arrangement with the unions. We will implement this for our employees in Hoogerheide and Helmond.”
850 employees
At Fokker Elmo in Hoogerheide, wiring harnesses for aircraft are made. This is all wiring between the cockpit and other aircraft parts. It employs about 850 people. This includes 350 temporary workers.
Source: Omroep Brabant
Translated by: Shanthi Ramani
