During the trade union meeting on 21 October 2021 with the NS International management, we also prepared additional measures. The board of directors is not positive. On 16 December 2021, during the trade union consultation with the management of R&D, trade unions asked for additional measures and were promised these. Mind you, that was the day before the cabinet announced the lockdown. From the moment the Netherlands went into lockdown, the situation on the train became even more substantial.

Nuisance even greater door lock

On December 18, 2021, the cabinet announced that the Netherlands would go into lockdown from December 19, 2021. The effect on IC Brussels is known to everyone. Large groups of shopping tourists and fare dodgers entered the train, but that is not the problem. The large passenger numbers of social security on the train of course difficult, intimidation and violence, caused by groups of young people who deliberately visit the train to Antwerp to kick rubbish, made it almost and too often really manageable. At the insistence of the trade unions, NS has added even more extra effort to the measures already taken. But that proved insufficient to keep these rioters from the train. The stories of aggression and verbal and physical violence against NS staff and passengers are well known. It is also known that absenteeism is high due to the extreme situation on the train and of the people who are still deployable. We are receiving messages from our members that many of you are on your gums. We think this is terrible to hear and we believe that the management should do much more to give you back the pleasure and safety at work.

Lockdown cannot be blamed on NS International

Of course we understand that NS International cannot do anything about the fact that the Dutch cabinet is closed and the shops are open in Belgium. However, NS International can simply post what we are talking about when it comes to communication with you and unequivocally condemn the behavior of these groups. Of course, as an employer, NS must do everything that can reasonably be expected of NS to offer its employees a safe workplace.

Full access control

The unions have a proposal to maintain full access control in Breda to Antwerp and in Antwerp towards Breda during busy periods. everything, which has nothing to look for, is drawn for placement of the train and is already taken out. Without further explanation, NS will not accept that from us.

Beautiful, but luckily the NS management doesn’t deserve the animal by the name

The management has placed a text on the tile, in which they mainly indicate what they are doing to make the train manageable again. All good sourced. Super good that, in addition to the extra effort of V&S on the platforms, supervisors were present on the train and that NS advised travelers not to travel to Belgium.

It’s also really good that extra staff is present on the platforms (Tickets & Service, team managers, office colleagues and colleagues on light duty) to point travelers to alternatives and to carry out ticket checks in advance. But why does NS not dare to call the animal by its name? Trade unions held talks with NS for two days about the text on the tile. We asked NS International to explicitly state the aggression, intimidation and violence, and to unequivocally condemn this unacceptable behavior of these young people.

Still no communication from NS International with trade unions

Experience daily. So apparently NS International was not interested in real communication. They didn’t bother to avoid breaking our terms to come to a composite communication and so decided to last on their version.

Don’t scale down yet, wait for the effects of easing lockdown

The Dutch cabinet has relaxed the lockdown. The schools will open again and the shops can open again until 17:00 pm. This will decrease the number of travelers on IC Brussels. But as mentioned above, the crowded trains are not the problem. The employees on the train and ashore have the last of the aggressive turners. Now that the catering industry in the Netherlands is still closed, it is not yet clear whether or not those rioters want to go to Antwerp and back with the IC Brussels. We will then affect the NS management on the scales, but we will have to wait and see what the Dutch relaxation and reopening of the schools for social safety on the train plan.