Personnel of the Dutch Railways will stop working locally next week and the week after. These are 24-hour relay strikes, which will start next Wednesday in the North region. In the following days it is the turn of other regions. The actions follow the failed collective labor agreement negotiations between NS and the trade unions FNV, CNV and VVMC.
No NS trains will run in the region where the actions are taking place, a spokesperson for FNV expects. According to FNV, this probably happens in all northern provinces. The relay strikes will last until August 31. If there is still no collective bargaining offer that the unions are satisfied with, there will be a nationwide strike a week later, according to the union.
“Our members are well aware that they will affect the passengers during the campaigns. That is unfortunate, but the nuisance is unavoidable and ultimately also in the interests of the passengers. We now see that NS is not getting the vacancies filled and that trains are therefore not available.” failure and social safety is under serious pressure,” the union argues.
Last week, an ultimatum that the unions had issued to NS expired. They rejected a final offer from the public transport company, because it did not come close enough to their demands. The NS says in a response to be disappointed if it takes action. A spokesperson does not yet know what impact the actions will have on travelers. According to the NS, some of the collective labor agreement requirements of the unions are practically unfeasible. The company points to the difficult financial situation at NS as a result of the corona pandemic, which caused a decrease in the number of train passengers.
One of the collective labor agreement requirements of the unions is automatic compensation for the price increases in the salary of NS employees. They also want a one-off payment of 600 euros and an adjustment to the scheme to stop working earlier.
After the north region, NS employees went on strike in the west of the country on 26 August. Three days later, the actions continue in the northwest region. On August 30, personnel strike in the center of the country and on August 31 in the east and south of the Netherlands.