Three days of national public transport strikes announced for September

Public transport workers in the Netherlands are set to strike the week before Prinsjesdag, the annual day when the Cabinet presents its budget proposal. Labor actions will take place on September 10 in the three largest cities in the country, and on the national railways the following day. All regional transport service workers will strike on September 12, said the FNV labor union on Monday. The announcement came with a warning that more strikes are possible.

The workers are demanding that the new Cabinet develop plans allowing employees in physically taxing jobs to retire earlier, as the current early retirement scheme for such workers is set to end in 2025. The union said public transport staff are frustrated over the government's lack of response to similar demands from police, metal workers, and construction workers.

"Apparently, the men and women in politics think it is normal that people with a heavy job, who keep the Netherlands mobile 24/7, do not reach the finish line in good health," said Henri Janssen, director of FNV Spoor. He noted that these workers suffer from higher rates of chronic illness, disability, and premature death compared to those in less demanding jobs, and criticized the government's inaction.

On Tuesday, September 10, there will be short work stoppages in urban transport, including the GVB in the Amsterdam metropolitan area, the RET in the Rotterdam area, and the HTM in and around The Hague.

The FNV has called for a strike of all NS national railway staff starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, September 11. After that one-day strike, the union wants all regional transport workers to go on strike at the start of service on Thursday, September 12, regional transport actions will commence at the start of the service.

The FNV acknowledges that these actions will inconvenience passengers, but said it is hoping for public understanding. "To date, the government has not fulfilled its agreements to arrive at a structural arrangement," said Edwin Kuiper, director of FNV Streektransport. He emphasized that the strikes are aimed at securing better conditions not only for public transport workers but for all employees in physically demanding jobs.

Eric Vermeulen, director of FNV Stadstransport, indicated that the initial actions are moderate, but warned of more significant disruptions in October if the Cabinet does not respond. "We are still starting mildly in public transport," he said. The public transport employees and their union stressed that the actions are a necessary step to prompt government action and protect the health and well-being of workers across various sectors.

As the political landscape becomes clearer with the formation of a new Cabinet, the Public Transport sector made its demands known. A new Cabinet under intended Prime Minister Dick Schoof is set to be installed on Tuesday during an event with King Willem-Alexander.

The new ministers and state secretaries will then use the summer to develop their concrete political agenda, which is meant to expand on the loose coalition agreement from the PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB. This agreement has been criticized by opposition parties for not having developed beyond vague proposals and campaign rhetoric prior to the November 2023 election.