Teachers call for a nationwide government services strike

The primary school teachers behind trade union PO in Actie is calling for a national strike involving all government departments on October 2nd. They want police officers, nurses, Defense personnel and teachers to strike together in The Hague, they wrote in an open letter, NOS reports.

"Regulatory burdens, administrative red tape and a shortage of colleagues cause increasing work pressure in all public sectors", PO in Actie wrote. According to the union, the annual 2 billion euros that the abolition of dividend tax may cost, can be better spent on employees in the public sector. "No money for extra officers, nurses, Defense personnel or teachers is a political choice. No matter how you look at it."

Healthcare employees are showing interest in the joint strike. "Many healthcare workers find it ridiculous that 2 billion euros go to the foreign shareholders of large companies and healthcare can forget about it", the founder of Facebook page Zorg in Actie said to newspaper AD.

In June employers and employees in primary education reached a new collective bargaining agreement. But as there was not enough money available to close the wage gap with secondary education, PO in Actie will continue to hold labor actions.