NS staff wants to go on strike in five regions next week to enforce better working conditions. The trade union FNV confirmed this to NRC. The trade unions — which include CNV and VVMC in addition to FNV Spoor — have been negotiating with the railway company for some time, but the parties have not yet reached an agreement. Last week, FNV issued an ultimatum to the NS to comply with the unions’ demands, but to no avail.
As it stands now, says a spokesperson for FNV, the strikes will start on 24 August in the North region. This includes the provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. The unions plan to hold ‘relay strikes’, with NS personnel in successive regions on strike for a maximum of 24 hours. As a result, train traffic will not come to a halt in several regions at the same time.
The strikes will last until August 31. If the NS has not yet made an offer that satisfies the unions, a nationwide strike will follow. On 26 August, NS staff in the West region, i.e. in the Randstad, will go on strike, according to the FNV. The unions will announce the full strike schedule later in the day.
Regrettably
“Our members are well aware that they will affect the travelers during the actions. That is unfortunate, but the nuisance is unavoidable and ultimately in the interest of the travelers. We now see that NS is not getting the vacancies filled, which is why trains are canceled and social safety is under serious pressure,” the union argues.
The unions want, among other things, more favorable working hours and wages to be compensated for the rising cost of living. They also demand a one-off payment of 600 euros gross and a permanent salary increase of 100 euros gross. But the NS cannot afford that, says the railway company. Earlier collective labor agreement proposals from the NS were rejected by a majority of the trade union supporters in recent weeks.