Labor unions to stage national pharmacy strike on Tuesday
Pharmacy workers nationwide are to strike on Tuesday, November 12, gathering from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Malieveld in The Hague to demand higher wages and reduced workloads. The labor unions FNV and CNV are organizing the action as part of ongoing collective bargaining negotiations.
“For nine weeks now, employees in the pharmacy sector across the country have been taking action for higher wages and reduced workloads. Yet, there’s still no acknowledgment from their employers, who offer only a 2 percent pay raise—below inflation. That’s unacceptably low for these workers,” said Ralph Smeets, an FNV representative.
The unions are calling for a 6 percent wage increase, retroactive to July 1, a minimum wage of 16 euro per hour, and compensation for all working hours, including preparation time before pharmacies open.
The lowest-paid pharmacy workers earn a pre-tax annual salary of 27,746 euros, with senior pharmacy assistants earning up to 45,078 euros and senior team leaders making up to 50,487 euros. Managers' salaries range from 40,622 euros to 57,066 euros annually under the current collective labor agreement.
The minimum hourly wage in the Netherlands is currently 13.68 euros, set to increase by 2.75 percent in January, reaching 14.06 euros per hour.
CNV representative Albert Spieseke noted the growing frustration among pharmacy employees, stating, “Pharmacy employees do incredibly responsible work but aren’t receiving the recognition they deserve.” He added that many employees report they could earn similar wages working in supermarkets, a reality that he said leads to staffing shortages.
The national strike follows nine weeks of regional actions across 11 provinces, with Flevoland as the only region yet to participate. When the strike began in September, union leaders Ralph Smeets (FNV) and Marco Dons (CNV) stated that since previous efforts to encourage change through campaigns had failed, it was time to initiate regional strikes. They warned that if these actions didn’t lead to progress, a nationwide strike would follow.
Union leaders state that they hope this larger-scale action will push employers in this sector to improve the collective labor terms. Thousands of employees are expected to participate, and pharmacies nationwide will inform patients about closures in advance.
Despite the planned closures, the unions have coordinated with employers to ensure emergency care remains available during the strike, with at least one pharmacy in each region staying open.
