NS invites unions to resume collective bargaining agreement negotiations with new offer

The NS has invited the trade unions to restart negotiations by offering an improved salary. Today marks the third time in a week that the unions have gone on strike due to dissatisfaction with the rail company's collective bargaining agreement proposals to date. This has resulted in trains being canceled throughout the country.

NS is now offering a 3.25 percent wage increase for this year. Their previous offer included a 2.55 percent salary increase. In addition, the railway company is also proposing a salary increase of 2.75 percent per March 1, 2026. NS felt this would compensate for the inflation rates, which was one of the union’s main demands.

The company emphasized once more that they want to continue negotiations with the unions and think it is “very disappointing that our passengers are affected by these strikes.”

The collective bargaining agreement for NS staff applies to 17.500 employees. The previous collective bargaining agreement, which expired on March 1, had a salary increase of an average of 6.6 percent. No strikes took place to achieve this deal.

NS workers also went on strike in 2022 to secure a higher wage increase. This eventually resulted in the workers receiving a salary hike of 9 percent.

FNV director Henri Janssen “is not enthusiastic” about the offer, he said. “We received the invite at 10:30 a.m. The same time as the press. We will discuss the invite, and then we will decide our response.”

The other unions involved in the strikes, CNV and VVMC, were not available for comment.