Employees in regional transport will stop working for five days from Monday across the country. The reason is the failed collective labor agreement negotiations. The strikes can cause a lot of inconvenience to travelers. However, it is impossible to say in advance exactly when and in which areas.
NU.nl approached the companies responsible for regional transport. From Arriva and Keolis to Qbuzz and Transdev, they all say that the nuisance only becomes apparent when employees have to show up for work.
Because one employee goes on strike, but the other may still show up, so that some buses and trains can still run. “We receive signals that it can also differ per day,” the Keolis spokesperson said in a telephone response.
The regional carrier runs trains and buses in Almere, Utrecht and Overijssel, among others. Asking employees in advance whether or not they are on strike is not allowed, according to the spokesperson. “That is why we advise travelers to see what is possible just before their trip. We naturally find this very annoying.”
According to the unions, there is a great willingness to strike
Employees’ union FNV spoke in a press release on Sunday of a “great willingness to strike” among its members. “Engineers, conductors and drivers of regional lines such as Arriva, Qbuzz and Keolis are on strike,” the union writes.
Earlier, FNV reported that the strike will “make a difference” in Limburg, Twente and the Achterhoek in particular. But because the CNV union also announced that it would join the strike, there is a good chance that the strike will also have an impact in the rest of the Netherlands.
It is therefore expected that fewer or perhaps no buses will run outside the major cities. This also applies to trains operated by companies other than NS.
Rover, the organization that stands up for the rights of public transport travelers, has announced that it wants an end to all strikes.
“It is in everyone’s interest not to lose even more travelers. We call for traveler-friendly actions. Contrary to popular belief, traveler-friendly actions (such as not checking tickets) are also allowed. We ask carriers to be lenient with compensation for travelers who choose alternative transport.”
Some students are taught online
Some schools are not waiting for the consequences of the strike. For example, Gilde Opleidingen in Limburg informed ANP that some teachers will offer online education for their MBO students. According to LAKS student club, their supporters are waiting for it all. Many students can cycle to school or ride with their father or mother.
Meanwhile, a solution to the stalled collective bargaining negotiations seems far away. The chairman of the Association of Employers in Public Transport (VWOV) called the latest proposal “above average”. According to VWOV, employers cannot go higher than the latest proposal.
A spokesman for the CNV trade union responded that there was nothing new in the VWOV proposal. Because there is another strike, the last collective labor agreement proposal has been canceled according to the VWOV. As a result, all parties will have to go back to the negotiating table to start the collective bargaining talks all over again.
