How’s the MINI in the Netherlands?

Posted on 21-02-2016 at 19:02 by perry_snijders – 42 Comments”

A MINI might be British, the cars roll out of our old DAF factory. So we wanted to ever know or MINI is happy with the performance of VDL Nedcar. And what do the British and the Germans actually of the strikes in Born?

At the end of december we called a MINI to look at and talk about the production in the Netherlands. MINI remains, of course, and quintessentially British,’ said Tamara Villani of MINI us then. “The heart of the production will therefore always be in Oxford. But around it is a flexible workforce, because the driedeurs is, of course, already a half year, produced in the Netherlands, in addition to the production in Oxford. In addition, there is the Convertible, production of which on november 1 started. That model is exclusive in the Netherlands is being built. We are very proud of it, because it says a lot about the quality at VDL Nedcar are being delivered.’

Also spokeswoman Nadia Landerloos of VDL Nedcar was particularly positive about VDL Nedcar. Gosh. “But we also have reason to,” she explained. “We are in november, started with the production of the Cabrio, as a second model next to the hatch. This ensures that we now have 200 new employees to adopt, in addition to the 2.350 that we already have. That is a lot more than in the Mitsubishi-time. When we stopped with the production of Mitsubishi’s we sat on 1,500 employees.’

If everything is good, amazing and wonderful, you can, however, ask why the staff several times stopped. So shortly after the acquisition of Nedcar by VDL would you expect that the employees of the ground cushion on which Wim van der Leegte. “Well, the floor cushion is perhaps a little exaggerated, don’t you think?’, so said the spokeswoman, ‘Fortunately, this is not to employees who are not satisfied with VDL Nedcar, but are the strikes for the entire industry. And a good collective labour agreement is, of course, also in the interest of our employees.’
However, you would you may imagine that two work stoppages in June, a strike in June, and a strike in december only frustrate you. How is such a call to BMW to report that there are no MINI’s are? ‘That, I’m honestly not,’ replied Landerloos. “The agreements with BMW, however, not to the number of people on a day works, we only have agreements on production volumes. That means that we have the production that we now have missed, as soon as possible.’

Shortly after the acquisition gave VDL emphatically that there are more manufacturers were sought that production to Nedcar from wanted to spend. Is that still the case? ‘The factory is running, still not at its maximum capacity. Although we have now a lot more people at work than in the beginning, but we will work in one service. That we can for example expand to two or three services. We are also regularly in conversation with manufacturers and we have the impression that we have something for them to do.”
And that might be a tad harder as the direction of the company will soon be in the hands of a new generation? ‘In 2016 does Wim van der Leegte a step back at VDL Group, but William, Jennifer and Peter are also now a regular here. But you must not forget that Willem van der Leegte, the new chairman of the board of VDL Groep. The daily management of VDL Nedcar is in the hands of Joost Govaarts and Carel Bouckaert and that remains unchanged. I think we here in the daily operations not as much of will notice’.

In early January, the success story of VDL Nedcar a different direction. Board member Jan Mooren ran in an interview with The Financial Newspaper, empty. He let us know that VDL Nedcar the strikes now, however, is tired and did not make any effort more in order to keep up appearances that it would otherwise be. The strikes that the company is affected (like the DAF) do not have to do with the company itself, but should make for a better COLLECTIVE labour agreement in the metals sector. Nice, let Mooren know, but now that strikes it, according to him, ensured that BMW is a part of the production moved, which will in Born, jobs are lost.

Time to contact as a trade union. VDL Nedcar reported that jobs would be lost, and almost at the same time, said the FNV about a ‘prosperous nieuwjaarsstaking’. We were curious to know whether the trade union was satisfied with this outcome. According to FNV-press officer Brenda Heidinga lying VDL. “It is incorrect information that the production of BMW has been reduced because of the strikes,” she says. Also BMW has confirmed this. The production fluctuates, then the production increases, then lowered again. VDL intimidates his employees on the shop floor, and also through the media by threatening with layoffs.’ That is rather difficult to reconcile with the initial enthusiasm about VDL, when the Eindhoven-based company NedCar over Mitsubishi and the benefits of the employees complemented to 100 percent of their normal salary. “Those are different matters,” says Heidinga. “Of course we are happy with every job, but how to VDL with his staff to deal with, we are less happy. The employees themselves are under heavy pressure, are intimidated, working a lot and often in place of additional personnel recruited. The employees are all loyal to the company and work hard, but if they are on the job, and now also in the media are intimidated, there will be a reaction.’
According to the FNV, is it not the case that it is inappropriate to strike so soon after the takeover by VDL. “We see that especially in companies where there is dissatisfaction among the employees, the willingness to strike is very big. When VDL is a lot of dissatisfaction about the working hours and flexible deployment of people — for example, a lot of overtime and not much to say about it. If there is harassment, is the willingness to take part in strikes around the CLA is getting bigger. VDL reported that vice versa, but still, that’s not our experience. In companies where employees are very satisfied about their employer, but dissatisfied with the COLLECTIVE labour agreement, is the willingness to participate in actions and strikes much less great.”

In a press release, said the FNV even a dirty game. ‘Last year, in december, VDL Nedcar is still known 200 new jobs to need in 2016. That just at the moment there are negotiations about a new collective labour agreement for the sector as a whole, such messages come out, it fits in with the image that we all long periods of time: workers who want to strike are intimidated in all possible ways. We are currently investigating a number of these cases. VDL believe in 19th century practices in the direction of her staff: a modern employer unworthy.’

Recently published, the Volkskrant an interview with Wim van der Leegte. Therein is he not in on the problems with VDL Nedcar, but he tells what in heaven of him inspired can have to such a tent full of problems in house. ‘If you have a difficult running company takes over, you can add value, and then one plus one can equal three. Or four. If you have a well running business take over, it can, at best, a well running company. I think that is not a business, I think that’s invest.’
Or he might wake up lag of the problems at his companies, wanted the newspaper to know. “I am a bad inslaper. But not because I need to lie to think. Problems you should solve, but not at night.’

UPDATE: That VDL Nedcar ‘a tent full of problems’, not literally from the article in the Volkskrant. For the people who do so interpret; Wim van der Leegte, this has never been said, it is the introduction to the quote from the interview comes.