I think GolfYankee is correct (although I hasten to add, I cant read the web site), but from what I understand, with the so-called "crew rest" installed in the aircraft(nothing more than curtained off "Y" class seats), the crews can do upto 19 hours duty under Dutch Law.
From what I hear, the new EU law prohibits this, but Transavia want a dispensation to continue operating in this way. (I note by the way that the Transavia management has managed to drag this thing out through the summer months..so they have "made it through" by using the crew rest, and now only have to argue it out through the winter, when its use is less of a problem.) Add to this, as I understand it, that Transavia provide no onboard catering for crews, and that dutys can consist of many 3.00am starts in a row, I can see why they are complaining.
The part I do not understand is the VNV's position in all of this. There is no way the would ever ever accept any of this in KLM. so why did they allow this situation to develop in Transavia in the first place? Is it because Transavia has always been looked on as "the poor cousin"? Is it because of the Dutch attitude "well if you are not a pilot for THE KLM, well toy are not really a pilot at all", so who cares?
Perhaps some pilot from Transavia could post on here and fill us all in properly on the situation