Civil servants to strike Tuesday, affecting gov’t services, cleaning, slaughterhouses
Civil servants will launch a nationwide strike next week over a proposed wage freeze, shutting slaughterhouses in the Netherlands on Tuesday and leaving key government buildings, including ministry offices and the lower house of Parliament, uncleaned for days, union officials said. Binnenlands Bestuur reports that organizers have scheduled strike rallies in Amsterdam, Apeldoorn, Groningen, Maastricht, Utrecht, and Rotterdam.
The action is part of a national day of protest involving roughly 160,000 central government employees, organized by labor unions FNV, CNV, AC Rijksvakbonden, and CMHF Overheid, aimed at pushing for a new collective labor agreement.
The disruption is expected to affect multiple state services at once. Inspectors from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority will strike for one day, forcing slaughterhouses to shut down. Separately, employees of the Rijksschoonmaakorganisatie will walk out for three days, leaving buildings such as ministry complexes and the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament, without cleaning services.
Further pressure is expected on public services. The country's tax office, the Belastingdienst, and student finance office DUO are forecast to be less reachable during the action, the unions report. Previous regional and local strikes have already caused slaughterhouse closures and reduced telephone access to government agencies.
The unions are protesting what they describe as a government-imposed policy of zero wage growth, arguing that public sector workers are losing purchasing power as grocery prices continue to rise. They also warn inflation could increase further due to the Iran war, with lower-paid civil servants most affected.
The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations has previously said budget cuts are necessary within the national government. Under its proposal, wages would rise again in 2027. Minister Pieter Heerma has said he wants to quickly resume talks with unions.
In a statement, the unions said: “If people do experience inconvenience from the action, we regret that. But other signals are not being listened to in The Hague. It is high time that Prime Minister Jetten takes his professionals seriously.”
