Dutch rail strike averted for now, with contract talks to resume in January

The negotiations for a new collective labor agreement for workers employed by Dutch railway company NS will continue in 2024, said FNV labor union leader Henri Janssen. The union and the national railway are still too far apart to reach an agreement. “But we are looking to see what is possible to prevent a strike,” said the trade union leader on Friday night.

The unions are demanding a wage increase of around 10 percent, but NS does not want to pay more than four percent thus far. FNV is also asking for automatic wage increases tied to inflation. The NS personnel went on strike last September over salary demands, which was to secure the current agreement. Travelers throughout the Netherlands suffered as a result. Ultimately, the staff negotiated for a wage increase of more than nine percent in a contract that expires at the end of this year.

The negotiations over the new contract were supposed to be finalized no later than Friday. Janssen says essential issues were discussed, but no steps have been taken regarding salary. The parties involved in the collective bargaining agreement have looked to see if talks could resume next week, but it was impossible due to scheduling conflicts. Instead, the negotiations will continue after Christmas and New Year's Eve. The talks will continue on January 8.

It was reported earlier in the day that the NS had made a new wage offer. VVMC union leader Wim Eilert, who is also involved in the negotiations, called it a step forward. “Admittedly, not big enough, but it can be a reason not to end the talks today,” he said about the offer.

A spokesperson for the VVMC later said that the union “is far from happy” but that the door is still open.

VVMC and FNV have both said that the NS needs more time to sort certain issues out financially and legally. The railway company explained via a spokesperson that the negotiations are about “important topics for colleagues” and that this process “must be followed carefully.”