Teacher union calls for two-day strike in January

Teacher union AOb is calling on its members to strike on January 30th and 31st next year. The largest teachers' union in the Netherlands is demanding higher wages for its members, so that the teaching profession remains attractive in the fight against the growing teacher shortage. Contract talks between the unions and employers in primary education stalled last week.

The AOb decided to organize another strike after polling its members. 90 percent of the union's some 6 thousand members agreed to the strike. "The members clearly expressed their opinion: the willingness to take action is enormous", AOb chairman Eugenie Stolk said in a statement. "That is why we are starting the 2020 action year with a two-day strike. Let's hope that there will finally be structural money for education. If there is no structural money, we will continue to take structural action."

A teacher strike in primary- and secondary education resulted in over 4 thousand schools staying closed on November 6th. Whether the other education unions will join the two-day strike in January, is not yet clear.

Minister Arie Slob for Primary and Secondary Education promised a once-off amount of 460 million euros to education early this month. But according to the unions, a once off investment is not enough to solve the structural problems facing education in the Netherlands.