Dutch union CNV pauses rail strikes to resume wage talks with NS

Dutch union CNV has accepted NS’s invitation to resume collective labor agreement negotiations and pledged not to announce new strikes through at least Wednesday. It remains unclear whether other unions, including FNV and VVMC, will maintain strike actions before then.

The strikes, initiated last week by CNV, VVMC, and FNV, aim to strengthen demands for a new labor agreement covering approximately 17,500 NS employees. On Friday, during the third day of industrial action, NS presented an improved wage offer and invited unions to reopen negotiations.

FNV responded by expressing willingness to engage in talks but stated it intends to continue strike actions, deeming the offer insufficient. VVMC, NS’s largest union, said it was reviewing the proposal but remained unimpressed and had not decided whether to resume discussions.

NS’s revised offer includes a 3.25 percent wage increase for 2025, up from an earlier offer of 2.55 percent, along with a proposed 2.75 percent raise effective March 1, 2026.

Henk Jongsma, CNV’s lead negotiator, said his union is committed to giving the talks a genuine opportunity. “It is positive that NS has taken a step toward resolving this conflict with a better wage offer and an improved proposal for the heavy labor scheme,” Jongsma said. “We are certainly not there yet, but this provides an opening for new discussions.”

NS has invited the unions for talks Tuesday but CNV indicated negotiations could resume as early as Monday.

No strikes are expected Monday, as unions were required to announce planned actions by midday Friday, which did not occur. A decision on potential strike activity Tuesday is expected by Sunday afternoon.