New strikes on the track seem to be gone for the time being. The trade unions and the Dutch Railways have agreed on a new collective agreement. This is reported by trade union FNV.
Among other things, the parties have agreed that wages will increase by 4 percent on 1 March 2025 of this year. On 1 March next year a salary increase of 3 or 3.5 percent will be added, depending on the function group in which an employee is located.
A heavy work scheme is also part of the appointment package. Employees who have done heavy work for thirty years or more can stop working three years earlier. Furthermore, NS employees who are currently running until after their 63rd night shifts will be exempt from next year. If the operational management “does not allow this immediately”, the person who works for the longest time at NS is eligible for the scheme.
The unions and the Dutch Railways have been talking about a new collective agreement for months. During that period, the NS staff decided to stop several times. During these ‘action days’ in June, train traffic in the Northern Netherlands and the rest of the country was (seriously) disturbed. In a few days there were not even trains from the Dutch Railways.