Dutch news in brief, 3 April 2006

Industrial action at NedCar

Several hundred employees downed tools and halted production at the NedCar plant in the Dutch town of Born on Monday after reports one of the two production shifts is to be scrapped. This would mean the loss of up to 1,000 jobs. NedCar employees 3,000 people. The company has shed 1,700 jobs in the last two years. The Smart ForFour and Mitsubishi Colt cars are made at Born. But Smart is halting production and it is unclear whether work on the successor to the Colt will be given to the Dutch factory.

Chavez brands Dutch minister as US spy

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez referred to Dutch Defence Minister Henk Kamp as a “spy for Washington” during his weekly television programme. This was a response to Kamp who described Chavez recently as a “bigoted populist with a lot of money” and suggested Venezuela wanted to attack the Dutch islands of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba off the Venezuelan coast. Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot has distanced himself from Kamp’s accusations.

More information on minimum wage

Ignorance and carelessness are often the reason employers pay less than the legal minimum wage, Social Affairs Minister Aart Jan de Geus told parliament on Monday. Therefore, he has decided to mount an information campaign on the issue. The results of a study given to MPs on Monday showed 3.5 percent of firms were paying less than the minimum wage.

Knives out for 80 kph zones

Parliament wants to scrap the 80 kph zones introduced on motorways in the Randstad last year. The zones with the lower speed limit were introduced to cut noise pollution but have led to a marked increase in traffic jams instead.

Subject: Dutch news