“I’m thinking of concierges and receptionists who do not have the ‘luxury’ of working from home and who need their cars. It’s not like in the Randstad, public transport is often not an option in South Limburg. These people are being hit hard by the rising fuel costs. We need them, I can’t open a building without a receptionist.” The question was posed by Roy van Kessel, building manager of the Faculty of Science and Engineering and FNV member for the Local Consultative Body, in which the unions meet with the Executive Board. He travels about 1280 km a month to and from work, receives a seven-cent travel compensation, until recently, paid about 1500 euros a year out of his own pocket, and is set to pay another 250 euros on top because of the current fuel prices. Although he was quick to clarify: “You don’t have to feel sorry for me.”
Jan-Tjitte Meindersma, vice president of the Executive Board, was sympathetic to the request. The difficulty is, how do you tackle the problem? And can you even tackle the problem? A contribution from the decentralised terms of employment funds, for example – intended for extras on top of the CLA, such as a Christmas gift; the Executive Board usually determines those together with the LCB – is always intended for all employees, not a specific group.
LCB member Carijn Beumer (Aob) had another objection. Is a fuel cost compensation a good idea at all? After all, it means UM subsidising the fossil fuel industry. “Is it not possible to provide the compensation in a different way?”
Meindersma promised to investigate the options together with the LCB.