One student has just left the train from his hometown of Groningen. He goes to Loosdrecht with friends to sail and spend the night there. “The weather is nice and a friend of mine’s birthday tonight. So we thought it would be nice to celebrate here tonight.”
He wanted to take the train back home on Tuesday, but does not know if that will work. “Only now I hear that nothing is driving. I actually have no idea how I will get home.”
He is not the only traveler who will be bothered by the strikes tomorrow, for the fourth time in two weeks. Two backpackers say that they are in transit and tomorrow was the only day that they could visit Amsterdam. Another traveler says that he has already had to miss many lessons at his school in Utrecht.
Reason for the strike
Staff of the Dutch Railways, because VVMC, FNV and CNV trade unions are disconnected about the collective bargaining negotiations. According to the unions, wages have not been giving up with inflation in recent years. They also demand better working conditions.
Today there was a new negotiation round between the Dutch Railways and the railway unions, but this did not end. Henri Janssen, director FNV Spoor, told NH earlier: “The management of NS only wants to be back on the table with the trade unions when the actions are suspended, but puts virtually nothing new to it. We find that unacceptable.”
Janssen does not exclude the fact that strikes will be made again after tomorrow.