Indispensables

I showed you a scene yesterday that some of you may 'recognise' as it was based on the famous painting by Rembrandt called The Night Watch. The new version shows several jobs that have been deemed indispensables, especially during the recent Covid-19 lockdowns. People like cleaners, teachers, nurses, bus drivers, child carers and the like.

And yes, indispensable we might be, but that is not shown in our pay packages. Nurses get applause and have to survive on meagre wages. Cleaners do a thankless job and get paid pittance. The Dutch union FNV has now launched something that combines those things: a minimum wage that is higher than it is now. For anybody over the age of 21 it should go up to 14 euros per hour. Right now it is just below 10. 

The mayor of Rotterdam

This is something that I agree with. If we are so indispensable, why not pay accordingly? Yes, my pay is okay and I can get by nicely, but there are scores of people who are struggling, especially in towns and cities where housing is even harder to get by and certainly more expensive. Having to pick between daughter and son to see who gets to join a sports club or even get a new pair of shoes is ridiculous in this day and age!

The first part of this new action was a short gathering in Rotterdam a few weeks ago. There were speakers, most notably the mayor of Rotterdam (Ahmed Aboutaleb) and a famous Dutch writer (Jan Terlouw). It was also quite fun to see which political parties agreed with all this: the Socialist party, the Communist party and of course the union I am a member of. 

The writer is well into his nineties

Anyway, the day was okay, even though it was a bit too chanty for me. But I do agree with the premise that the minimum wage should go up so that everybody has a livable amount of money. 

The new Night Watch shows several jobs that were deemed indispensable. And behind the lady in the red scarf (front and center) there is a bearded gentleman that is actually a colleague of mine. 

Strike

Empty buses today

On Tuesday there was a national strike in the public transport sector in the Netherlands. A strike to focus people's attention on the retirement age which is being put up to 67 (and beyond) and they want it frozen at 66. Fair enough.

I am a member of a union. I was before I left for Norway, I was in Norway and I have recently become a member again here in the Netherlands. I think it's important as it has done so much for working people in the past and will hopefully continue to do so in the future. 

I drove my bus on Tuesday. On a public transport route. Me and my colleagues were the only ones. We were not busy at all. At some point somebody who cycled towards me made no-no-no movements with his hands. I shouldn't have been driving, I should have been on strike.

The thing is however, I don't work for the public transport company, I work for a coach company and they were not on strike. Which would have meant I would have had a hard time getting strike money. Besides, did I completely agree with what they were striking about?

Well, no. Yes, the age of retirement should not go up indefinitely. Personally I think 67 is fine or 66 for that matter if they do get that sorted. But the fact of the matter is that it will be most likely that I will have to work beyond that anyway to get any sort of decent pension. What with me having worked abroad, I have what they call over here a pension deficit. I am still not sure I will be getting any money from Norway, I know for a fact that I won't be getting anything from the UK.

But even that is not what is causing the biggest deficit. It's the fact that I work for a temping agency. If I work, I save up for the state pension. If I don't work, I don't save. There are apparently more jobs than applicants right now, yet it is still very hard to get a steady job. Which in turn influences my pension, my ability to get a loan, my ability to get a mortgage, my ability even to rent certain homes. 

I also don't know from one week to the next how many hours I will be making or how much money will show up in my bank account. It makes life very uncertain and I am not the only one. Several of my colleagues have lost their jobs (downsizing a favourite reason) recently and have had to retrain as a bus driver. They are at the bottom of the pay grades (I am at the top, which is at least one good thing). They do have mortgages, families, obligations. But no certainty about their pay check. 

I don't want to work until I am 69 or beyond. But I feel that the unions would serve a lot more people a lot better with a fight over temporary work and how long that is allowed. Jus' saying...

Brom goes to school

Coocoo!

Long time no see, but I was a wee bit on the tired side after my lovely holiday in the Bonny Land. I got spoiled rotten by Auntie Yam, but I did miss home. But now I am back and guess what: I went on a tour as well.

"On the road again"

Last time it was Mouse who joined Mara on that weekend course, this time I got to come! First we took the bus to the hotel where we checked in. I was left in the room while Mara went down for the first evening's dinner and school work.

Can you spot the slice of cucumber?

The next day though I was raring to go. We started with a good breakfast. There were sausages and egg and bacon and salmon. Mara says it was quite yum.

Then we went to the classroom where everybody (some alone, some in pairs) had to give a presentation. Mara and her partner did a presentation about the 'Battle of Menstad'. It happened in 1931 and basically was a conflict between employer and employees. It is very important in the history of the Union, because one effect it had was bring about a Basic Agreement that is still used (with alterations of course) today. 

Yum

After the first half was done it was time for lunch. Which Mara said was really yum! I am only showing the dessert here, but it was certainly a goody! 

Then, once lunch was over, it was back to the school room and more presentations. Mara said she learned a great deal during those presentations, which I gather is good, since it was school after all!!

It's tea! Honestly!!

Early in the evening we finished and it was time for a pre-dinner drink. A glass of tea she said. Well, Tatra-Tea. Made in the Tatra Mountains in the North of Slovakia. 52%, so I guess it wasn't exactly tea. It tasted good though (I had a sip, but it was quite strong).

Dinner itself was in a restaurant in town. I got to come along as well: I had to keep an eye on Mara after that tea!! Later that evening there was another quiz. Mara's team won again, but somebody said they had cheated and they had one point deducted. That way they were equal with the team that ended in second place and there had to be a face-off. Which Mara's team lost! But, it was a good night anyway.

Saturday's dinner

Sunday started bright and early again. This time we got a little presentation from the teacher, which gave Mara even more information she didn't know about. They had some more work to do in groups and then it was nearly time for lunch and going home. 

If school is like this, I don't mind going every week!!

School

No, I am not going back to school. The thought alone is bad enough! But I will be going to a course. A union course. Not sure what to expect. I know one thing for certain: I won't know anybody there! 

This course will take place over the weekend and not in town. Which means: traveling! And because a certain Bear has not made his way home yet (I wonder if he likes it too much in Scotland and doesn't want to come home), a certain Mouse will take over travel duties. Very important!

Other than that: not much news. So, I leave you with some more flower photos from my trips to Ireland.

The union

My first annual meet in 2013

When I first thought about moving to Norway (after giving up on moving to Canada), I read somewhere that the union(s) is/are very important. So, before I left the Netherlands I contacted a union I found on the site of my Dutch union. Apparently they were so pleased with that, they printed out the email and had it on their wall for quite some time! I digress however. 

I have been asked once whether I wanted to take part in my local group. Not just as a member, but as a board member. It was when I was having a lot of pain from my abdomen (a few months before my operation) and I had enough of me to even think of dealing with others. My answer was no. 

On Saturday we had an extraordinary meeting. Open to all members. Not many showed, it being short notice and it being in the middle of the (albeit dreadful) day. Only thanks to some other member who mentioned he was going on Facebook did I remember and hit the shower to make it on time for the meeting. I was asked again. My answer was no. 

So, how come I am now a spare member of the board? Only to be called in when somebody else is sick? Why did I take the notes of the first board meeting? In Norwegian no less? Whatever the reason: I am now a spare member of the board. The first to be called up if others cannot go. Soon to be going on a course (if I can find the details, registering ends tomorrow). 

Oh, and apparently I said yes to organising the annual meet/Christmas meet as well. I don't remember, but the others do, so it must be true?

Back to school

During the summer I was asked whether I wanted to do a course. A course where I would learn all about my job basically. And if I passed said course, I would earn up to 2 euros and hour more! Payment of the course would be easy: I would pay half, the union would pay half. So far so good.

The first evening of the course was during my holiday. As was the second evening. The third evening I missed, because I didn't realise it was a course night and then finally the fourth evening I made it to class. This week was to be the fifth evening. And I didn't go. Not because I couldn't, but because I can't afford it.

The problem is this: I moved to Norway late November last year. Which means I have been a member of the union for 10 months now. And you have to be a member for at least 1 year before any financial aid is forthcoming. Any thoughts about being extra nice to me can be forgotten, since they are already extra nice to members of our particular branch (usually you have to be a member for at least 3 years). Me having been a member of a Dutch union doesn't help either.

That is not the only part of the problem though. The other part is the fact that I don't get any holiday money, since I only starting earning this year! Which means that any holiday has to be paid for by me. I was told I had to take three weeks (which I did), but the financial repercussions will have to be carried by me.

My landlady has this strange thing about wanting her rent every month. And my body feels that food is quite nice to get once in a while. So, I have asked to do the course next year, when I will be eligible for financial help from the union, will have holiday money and will be more settled than I am now. Today I got an answer to my email and they will take it up on Monday. Hopefully with a result that is good to me! Otherwise I will need to get a loan from somewhere and that is something I wanted to avoid at all cost this year!

Oh, and before anybody asks: I did need the holiday. It was my first in several years!

PS: photos taken during a walk last Sunday. A long walk.

Another meeting

Waiting for the ferry

I went to another union meeting yesterday. Another annual one, but this time it was the meeting for the whole region and not just our little part. It was over three hours away in Bergen, so we took a bus. Along the way we picked up some more people, drove through a 8 km tunnel which was at its deepest about 240 meters below sealevel! 

The ferry itself

After another bit of driving we arrived at a ferry. We all got on, parked the coach and went upstairs. We were nearing the end of our ferry journey when we were told to get on the regular coastal coach, because our coach wasn't working anymore. So the sixteen of us trooped on the other coach and we drove on to Bergen. Where we had to walk all over town to get to our meeting. Fortunately it was nice weather. 

The union chairman Roger Moun

The meeting started off with professor Frank Aarenbrot. He is apparently quite well known around the world and gave us a talk. Since this year there will be elections here in Norway, his talk dealt with political parties and the like. He was interesting to listen to, if a bit long at times. After his talk there was a short break with plenty of yummy things to eat and then it was back to the meeting where they would have a debate about what the prof had been talking about, which I missed. 

Walking to the meeting

Later on the meeting dealt with voting for one thing or another. It was fast, it was furious and on occasion it was over before I realised what was going on! Funny though... The meeting was over just after 4pm and then we had to go back to Haugesund. But first we needed a bus again. It took some time to get one (the driver had to go to the bus lot to get one), but we finally got on a new bus and made our way back home. We had fun on the bus, but I was glad to be back home again. 

The Union Gazette

Mara Jellema had joined a union and spoke Norwegian
when she came to Norway to drive a bus
Photo by Vegard Holm

As I got back to the staff room today, the union rep asked me whether I had been on Facebook today. Well, no, I hadn't as a matter of fact. Turns out, the interview was published! Remember about the interview? If not, read here!

And here, for your pleasure, the English translation of the Norwegian article:

With the union book in her luggage

Dutch Mara Jellema is not like most.

After thirteen years as a coach driver in her home country she wanted to go out in the world. It was a choice between Canada and Norway. It became Norway, because it was here she found a job as a [bus]driver. Today she drives a bus for Tide in Haugesund.

She started to learn Norwegian in November 2011. Mara Jellema never went to Norwegian classes {not quite right, he must have misunderstood slightly}, but learnt the language from a book course, but first and foremost through listening to NRK P1 {Norwegian national radio station}, something she did in all her free hours. 

Organised before she arrived

Mara has always been union organised, so when it became clear that she had gotten herself a job, she sent an e-mail to LO {National Union}, in which she wrote that she wanted to become a member. The e-mail -which was written in both Norwegian and English- got an answer three days later. From the union rep for Tide in Haugesund, John Terje Nordskog. He also got Mara a place to live.

She has already been to the first annual meeting in the club {Tide has its own NTF-club for all its members}.

The best job

On the 27th of November of last year Mara came to Norway. On the 2nd {3rd actually} she started her training to get her Norwegian kjoreseddel {well, not quite, but let's not get back to that story}. On Wednesday 9th of January Mara Jellema had her first ordinary shift as a bus driver in Norway and Haugesund. 

-I like to drive a bus and I like to communicate with people. It's the best job to have, she says.

Travelling

-How long do you think you will stay in Norway?

-I have no idea. Perhaps five years, perhaps the rest of my life, she answers.

Mara has lived in several other countries before: England, Italy, Yougoslavia, France and Belgium. In March she will move into a newly done-up apartment {well, that was before...}. And her two cats Wuppie and Linette will come to their new home in Haugesund.

Famous

Healing well

Last Saturday I had the tiny mishap with a sharp knife (one of the stitches came out today: all by itself) and I had a union meeting. At that union meeting several people were present, amongst which our local union leader. And at some point she told me that they all thought my story was so good, it should be written about. As a matter of fact, a reporter for the Union Gazette (not its real name by the way) was coming to Haugesund this week!

So, yesterday as I was dreaming a nice dream, I was rudely waken up by the phone: could I make it down to the LO-headquarters in Haugesund before 2pm? I got showered, had some breakfast, picked up the mail, went up to the office to (finally) hand in my tax cards and went to the LO-headquarters here in Haugesund.

They had better use photoshop to get rid of that nasty zit!

I was met by the local union rep, the company union rep (who had helped me find my place to live) and the reporter. I was asked when I started to learn Norwegian, how I did that, why I chose Norway and all sorts of other questions. He even wrote down the names of my two most beloved in the world: Wuppie and Linette. After that he took some photos and that was it: the interview was over. 

It will soon be published in 'Transportarbeideren' (or the Union Gazette, whichever you prefer) and I will be read about by thousands of Norwegians. Of course, when it is published, I will make sure to get a copy to put on here! Which could then mean I will be read by thousands tens of anyone out there!

Exciting!

The union

The room where the meeting was held. I was sat right behind
that pole, which seriously impaired my vision!

I knew before I came to Norway that the unions were very important. Since I had been a union member in the Netherlands during my busdriving carreer, I wanted to become a member again once I got to Norway. So, I got in touch with the biggest union in Norway and got some information. Which in turn led to me being a member from the second day of my being here!

Thai food and Danish beer. Yes, I am in Norway!!

Last night we had a union meeting. The boss of Kolumbus (which is the company that hires Tide Buss to do all the public transport in the area I live) gave a little presentation, as did a traffic/transport rep to the Parliament. We had a great Norwegian dinner (consisting of spring rolls, rice and chicken curry. Something to do with our leader being married to a lovely Thai lady). with beer and wine and then two more people gave a little talk. The first was the leader of the Bergen branch, which basically oversees the Haugesund branch and the second was somebody from Oslo who was a representative for the whole country apparently.

We voted (before dinner by the way), although I wasn't quite sure who or what for. Then again, neither did my neighbours, who are both Norwegian! Turns out, a member wanted to be part of the 'board' and that meant the other person had to come out. So, we had to vote. There were several more members who wanted in or were already in and wanted to stay in, but that didn't require any voting. A bit confusing.

fltr: the rep from Oslo, the rep from Bergen and the rep from Haugesund
I am standing behind them

I was asked out after dinner, but what with my visit to the doctor and my upcoming visit to the dentist and not having been paid yet, I was lacking somewhat in the monetary department. So, I decided to go home. I said goodbye, got involved in a chat, said goodbye again, got involved in another chat and in the end I stayed until a quarter to twelve! And then I went home! 

I think I may have understood about a third of all that was being said that evening, but then again, a month ago it would have only been about a tenth! With the chats being one on one (or two/three on one) they were easier to understand. We talked about how I got here, what I could offer the union (my languages being one) and several more subjects. It was good!

There is also a surprise coming up (it certainly was a surprise to me), but since I only know the basics at this point, I will not elaborate and just keep you in suspense.