Working in the bicycle parking suits me

Jawad Abboud (61) has recently started working at the U-Stal bicycle parking facilities in the city centre. Even when he started at Werkse! he said he wanted to work there. “Scanning cyclists, cleaning up, having a chat with everyone. I am busy all day and I like the contact with people the most.”

Jawad has been in the Netherlands for over 37 years and lived in Groningen for a long time. “I worked for various companies there. For instance, I did production work at Brabantia for 13 years, and later I worked for various employers through an employment agency. I was a packer and a production worker. I also owned my own restaurant and worked as a taxi driver. I would drive people from Groningen to Schiphol.”

To Delft
Around 2010, he lived in Voorburg and The Hague for a period. “There I worked for about three years at Biesieklette, the bicycle parking facilities in The Hague. That is when I realized how much I enjoyed that work!” Nevertheless, he returned to Groningen, where he was when the coronavirus pandemic began. “Unfortunately, it was difficult to find work back then. I received unemployment benefits and returned to the Randstad in 2025. Through Woonnet Haaglanden, I obtained a home in Delft and came into contact with Werkse!. "

Working at Startpunt
Jawad started there at the Startpunt. At that location, candidates will work for a number of weeks in a production department at Werkse!Additionally, you can discover your talents there and see which workplace suits you best. “It was a nice team and I did all kinds of work there, such as packing. In the five months I was there, I always arrived on time and wasn't sick a single day. I do my best to work neatly and look out for my colleagues. If I see that someone needs help, I just provide it. I was given a lot of trust in the workplace. Because I speak Arabic, I could occasionally act as an interpreter for new people who spoke very little Dutch.”

Conversation during vacation
At work, Jawad is direct, open, and honest. “I don’t like beating around the bush. So I said right away that I wanted to work at the U-Stal bicycle parking facilities. Unfortunately, there was no vacancy at that time. But my consultant and account manager really did their best for me. Suddenly, I was able to go for a job interview during the holidays. And holidays or not, I went! That interview went well, and now I work 30 hours a week at various bicycle parking facilities. The work is different at every location. For example, next to the library in the city center, there is also a PostNL parcel point. I have now been trained there. And at the bicycle parking facility at the station, you work behind computer screens.”

Fun and enjoyable work
Jawad has started on a four-week trial placement. “If all goes well, and I think it will, I will get a one-year contract after this. I am happy that Werkse! that is how it helped to make this happen. At U-Stal, I have great colleagues who help you get started. I find the work fun and sociable, but I am serious. In The Hague, I once refused entry to the mayor when the bike parking was full. My colleagues had a good laugh about it later.” And Jawad has one more thing to admit: “I don’t like cycling myself! I prefer walking, driving, or taking the tram. But I do enjoy working in the bike parking and would like to do this until my retirement!”

Photo: Alyssa van Heyst