They are unmistakable in the cityscape, the bright red bicycles often used by tourists to explore Amsterdam. The two-wheeler rental company, MacBike, is experiencing financial problems and has told its employees that not everyone can be paid.

An email to employees, which is in the hands of AT5, indicates that MacBike was unable to pay everyone on March 20. Legally, wages must be paid on March 25, but the Amsterdam company is asking employees who could be absent to refrain from doing so. The withheld wages will then be paid in the first week of April.

According to director Bas Oosterhout, the financial problems are partly due to heavy rains. “It has rained for the past five months. Today, the weather is not dry. Rain is really disastrous, because as a tourist you are not riding your bike for fun.”

The other problem is the Corona support that the tax authorities are now requesting, along with interest. “This is really just a regular loan,” Oosterhout says.

Easter holiday

The director admits that the situation is tragic at the moment. However, he sees a point on the horizon: the Easter holiday. Since this is the time when the influx of tourists starts every year, he hopes the company can hold on for a few more days. “Nice weekend and nothing is wrong,” Oosterhout says.

MacBike has about two dozen employees on the payroll. Three of them indicated that they could wait for some time to receive their salaries. that they Oosterhout assures that payment will eventually be confirmed. If MacBike goes bankrupt, UWV will take over the company’s salaries (including holiday pay and vacation days).