UNIZO has called on social partners to urgently update the 2002 Gentlemen’s Agreement in response to the three-day strike starting tomorrow.
The organisation stated that the agreement should balance the right to strike with the right to conduct business.
According to UNIZO, the timing of the new union action is particularly troubling, as the government’s budget is already under severe pressure.
“The economy needs stability but is receiving the opposite,” the organisation said in a press release. “Every strike day, no matter what it’s called, leads to millions in irreversible revenue losses for our businesses. This is happening at a time when bankruptcy rates are at an all-time high. This situation cannot continue.”
Bart Buysse, UNIZO’s CEO, added that many companies have little to no capacity left to deal with such disruptions.
He criticised the ease with which strikes can currently be organised without accountability for their consequences, calling the system outdated and unbalanced.
“To move the country forward, we need effective agreements and accountability where it matters—at the negotiating table. Updating and adhering to the modernised Gentlemen’s Agreement is the right tool to achieve this,” said Buysse.
The Gentlemen’s Agreement, established in 2002, outlines what is and isn’t permissible during strike actions.
