Nationwide hospital strike planned as labor talks collapse

Thousands of hospital workers across the Netherlands will stage a nationwide strike in mid-April, shutting down non-emergency care for an entire day, after labor negotiations collapsed. The walkout, announced by the FNV union, aims to pressure the Dutch Hospital Association (NVZ) into agreeing to better wages and working conditions.

The strike comes after the NVZ refused to meet demands from multiple unions, including FNV, CNV, and NU'91. The NVZ offered a 4 percent salary increase in 2025 and another 2 percent in 2026, but unions rejected the proposal as inadequate. CNV is demanding a minimum 6 percent raise this year, while FNV is pushing for 7 percent.

“This is a failure by hospital employers,” said CNV negotiator Joost Veldt. “We wanted to avoid this, but they left us no choice. This will impact patients, but it’s necessary for a fair contract.”

NU'91, a healthcare union, confirmed that preparations for protests are already underway. “Actions are now unavoidable,” said chairperson Femke Merel van Kooten. “It’s incomprehensible that hospitals, despite the crisis in this sector, have allowed things to escalate this far.”

The NVZ, however, maintains that its offer is fair. “We want to keep hospitals an attractive place to work,” said NVZ chair Ad Melkert. “Our proposal significantly improves purchasing power, including increased travel and irregular-hours allowances. We urge unions to return to the table.”

Negotiations between hospital employers and unions have reportedly been deadlocked for weeks, with wage disputes and allowances being the main sticking points. The unions’ demands stem from rising inflation, staff shortages, and burnout rates in hospitals. The failed talks led NU'91 to issue an ultimatum to the NVZ, which expired without an agreement.

FNV emphasized the urgency of action, revealing that 47 hospitals already have strike committees in place. This will be only the third nationwide hospital strike in Dutch history, following previous walkouts in 2019 and 2023. Non-emergency services, including scheduled surgeries and medical tests, will be suspended for the duration of the strike.

The dispute only affects general hospitals, as academic hospitals operate under a separate labor agreement that remains in effect until the end of this year.