Netherlands: bosses try to run over union organisers

[Wanted Man]

http://www.hanos.nl/media/vestigingen/groningen.jpg

Two union organisers in Groningen, the Netherlands, were attacked by the owners of HANOS, an international wholesale company, on Tuesday morning. The organisers are with FNV, the largest trade union federation in the country.

The organisers were working with a survey at the entrance to the staff building, when one of the owners arrived and tried to chase them out. When that failed, he got back into his car and tried to run them over. They had to jump out of the way. The co-owner arrived afterwards and tried to push them off the premises.

HANOS is a company that is known for being strongly anti-unionist. Reports of intimidation of employees are regular, but these could not be verified because the company tries to keep out the unions at all costs. That is why the organisers decided to survey the workers. This kind of union-busting violence is normally almost unheard of.

Unions have the constitutional right to organise workers, and unionists should not have to risk getting killed on the job, says FNV. More on this later.

Source: http://www.fnvbondgenoten.nl/fnvbondgenoten/regio_noord/hanos_directeur_rijdt_met_auto_i/




AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL.

[Tablo]

I can't believe the business owners could get away with that kind of shit. I hope the workers are able to win this struggle.

[Red Commissar]

If management resorts to actions like this, it is no surprise that workers at that business have been having issues unionizing.

[Comrade Gwydion]

Yuch, it's sickening how the dutch populace reacts to this news (if newswebsite nu.nl is something to go by)....
The comments are filled with people who say the business owner was right, or "I would not drive in to that scum (the Unionorganisors)... It would be a waste of carfuel, but I'd find another way."
"Unions break more than healthy" (which is a parody on an anti-alcohol campaign)
"That union scum is like the mafia and should be rooted out completely"
And judging by their spelling and grammar, these people aren't even the rich bourgoisie themselves :(

[Boru]

Yuch, it's sickening how the dutch populace reacts to this news (if newswebsite nu.nl is something to go by)....
The comments are filled with people who say the business owner was right, or "I would not drive in to that scum (the Unionorganisors)... It would be a waste of carfuel, but I'd find another way."
"Unions break more than healthy" (which is a parody on an anti-alcohol campaign)
"That union scum is like the mafia and should be rooted out completely"
And judging by their spelling and grammar, these people aren't even the rich bourgoisie themselves :(

They're most likely right or far right youth...

[Q]

They're most likely right or far right youth...

Nah, just plain idiots. In Dutch we call them "reaguurders" which is a contraction of "responders" and "vicious". These people make it a sport to whine at everything, mostly on the "left". Reality is that these people are basement internet warriors.

Sadly these people are a vocal minority.

[Red Saxon]

So have any charges been brought up?

[Wanted Man]

Some things have happened: on Wednesday night, the HANOS premises were given a nice redecoration with posters and tape all over the place.

Earlier today, the two organisers went to the police station to file charges, in the presence of some local media. A major human interest-oriented news show of the commercial station SBS was going to be there (Hart van Nederland), but they cancelled at the last moment. They probably noticed a cat stuck in a tree somewhere... Too bad. These kinds of shows suck ass, but millions of people do watch them.

[Wanted Man]

In a TV interview, one of the organisers pointed out an interesting thing that one of the bosses said to him during the skirmish, which is quite indicative of the fact that these things are no coincidence:

"If the trade unions cause any more trouble, we'll just sell the whole place. I don't get what you people are so worried about, anyway. Once Wilders (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geert_Wilders -WM) comes to power, the trade union will be done and over, and all those goatfuckers will be kicked out as well" (goatfuckers, obviously, being an ethnic slur for anyone from a muslim country, esp. North African and Middle Eastern).

[sotsialist]

Victory to the unions!