Traveling by train? That will be difficult this week. NS is preparing for a relay strike. When are the strikes and what will train passengers notice? Four questions (and answers).
When are the strikes?
The strikes are spread over five days. On Wednesday 24 August it is the turn of the Northern Netherlands, followed by the regions west (26 August), northwest (29 August), middle (30 August) and finally the south and east regions (31 August). If the actions are unsuccessful, nationwide strikes will probably follow.
The FNV calls on employees of the Dutch Railways to go on strike in the North region on Wednesday. That is now final. As far as we are concerned, there will be no trains in the region from 4 a.m. to 4 a.m.,” said a spokesman for the union.
What do train passengers notice?
There is a lot of uncertainty about that. For example, what will happen on Wednesday with the train from Groningen to Rotterdam? Is it only now starting in Zwolle, or is the strike in the north of the Netherlands paralyzing the entire timetable? To what extent is Zwolle in the North region at all? The NS does not know either and that is exactly the intention. love the latest travel advice closely monitor.
What are the strikers doing?
Leaders of the strikes are the three trade unions FNV, CNV and VVMC. Together they negotiate with the NS about new employment conditions for train staff, but they cannot come to an agreement. The unions demand, among other things, an increase in monthly wages of 100 euros gross, with a floor of 14 euros per hour.
NS employees put down their work in Groningen, Leeuwarden, Lelystad, Zwolle and the NS workshop in Onnen.
Couldn’t they come up with anything nicer?
Free travel for everyone, wasn’t that a good idea? The short answer is: no. Striking is a right in many cases, but a conductor who opens the gates wide, doesn’t check tickets and is then caught by her own boss, has little chance in court if she wants to challenge the sentence. Previous cases have shown that.