Last week, trade union FNV revealed that it was furious at IKEA Haarlem (The Netherlands) for calling up additional workers to take over the work of striking employees. The union sees this as a form of strike-breaking, which they consider anti-social and unfair towards staff who are striking for better working conditions. At the heart of the dispute is a stalled collective bargaining agreement. FNV is demanding a 7% pay rise and measures to reduce the workload.
The FNV (Federation of Dutch Trade Unions) is the largest trade union in the Netherlands. It represents workers in various sectors, such as healthcare, education, industry, and transport. The FNV advocates for better working conditions, including wages, working hours, pensions, and labor conditions. It also negotiates collective labor agreements (CAOs) and social policies with employers and the government.
We asked IKEA for a response. A spokesperson for the Swedish multinational reveals, "At IKEA, we respect our employees' right to strike. At the same time, as an employer we have a responsibility to ensure the safety of both customers and employees and to continue operations in a responsible manner."
IKEA Haarlem.
"When operations may have to be shut down, it is important to have enough employees present to safely close the restaurant or shop, for example. Therefore, we asked some employees to start earlier or work longer. This was not an attempt to undermine the strike, but a necessary measure to ensure safety and continuity of operations.
IKEA has invested significantly in better working conditions in recent years, including salary increases of up to 27% over several years. As a result, our salary offer is now (well) above the median in the retail sector. Our current proposal includes a realistic collective pay increase of 2.4% in 2025, plus an individual increase of up to 1.82%. This means a total pay increase of more than 3.4% for the vast majority of our colleagues.
In addition, we continue to discuss further improvements in health, welfare and pensions. We are open to discussions to reach a balanced outcome together that is good for both our employees and the company. Furthermore, we are happy to share reactions or additional information with our social partners at the table."
More information:
IKEA
www.ikea.nl