Public transport strike tomorrow may lead to more: No morning trains, trams & buses
Commuters in the Netherlands will need to brace for a potentially rough Wednesday morning commute as public transport workers will walk off the job in a four-hour strike that will cut off most forms of transportation. National rail service NS, regional and city trams, metros, and buses will not run from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. as part of a union-led protest against the Cabinet's previously-announced cuts to disability and unemployment benefits. Although the strike will end as many people leave for the office, the expectation is that delays could persist as transport services gradually build up to their normal timetables.
More public transport strikes will follow after the summer holiday if the Cabinet does not relent on its plans to cut social security programs, the FNV labor union said. They called the strike with fellow union, CNV, to protest the Cabinet’s plans to cut billions of euros in spending by reducing unemployment (WW) and disability (WIA) benefits, limiting access in some cases, and increasing the age when people obtain their full state pension (WOA).
More strikes looming
"We naturally assume that the Cabinet is taking our signal seriously. These demolition plans are disastrous for everyone. By dismantling the social safety net, this Cabinet is making the future of millions of Dutch people unnecessarily uncertain," said FNV Spoor representative Henri Janssen. "If the plans are not taken off the table, we certainly do not rule out striking again after the summer. And then a 24-hour strike is the obvious next step."
On Friday, there will also be labor actions carried out by workers employed by Eindhoven regional companies, including at DAF, ASML, SPIE, and VDL. Demonstrations will also be held in Amsterdam on Tuesday, in Utrecht and Groningen on Thursday, and in Rotterdam and Nijmegen this weekend.
But a public transport strike is the unions’ primary way to raise attention with national impact, as the trade unions say the Cabinet is maneuvering in a way that disproportionately affect workers. The FNV and CNV held firm, even after the government’s concessions to scrap plans to more rapidly increase the AOW age and abandoning key elements of the WIA and WW reforms. The Cabinet said changes are needed to keep public finances healthy, resolve implementation problems, and get the labor market moving.
Between 80 and 90 percent of employees in the sector are union members, which makes organizing a strike relatively easy, Parool reported. Public transport strikes also directly affect the entire population. Over a million people in the Netherlands use public transport every day, meaning thousands of workers will face difficulties when traveling to work on Wednesday morning. More people will likely travel by car, also resulting in more traffic jams on the roads, said infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat.
Practical impact of public transport strike
Considering the potentially record-setting heatwave, anyone heading out the roadways should be well-prepared in case of heavy traffic jams and breakdowns. Road users should carry water and an umbrella for shade "in case you unexpectedly break down and have to stand behind the guardrail waiting for help," the agency said.
The NS portion of the strike strike will happen from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. At city and regional transporters, including GVB in Amsterdam, RET in Rotterdam, and HTM in The Hague, the strike begins at the start of the timetable and ends at 8 a.m. Then the transporters will need time to get trains, buses, and trams out of the depots and to where they need to be to start up the timetable.
Bus and regional train operator Arriva told Parool that it hopes to have most trains and buses running again from 8:30 a.m. NS, which has a more complex timetable, hopes for 9:00 or 9:30 a.m. HTM told Omroep West that it should be running back on schedule by approximately 10:00 a.m.
Qbuzz and EBS, which provide regional bus services, told Omroep West that the impact of the strike depends on how many employees decide to work. They urged travelers to keep a close eye on their travel planner and expect disruptions and delays.
"Employees and people who fall ill or lose their jobs through no fault of their own must not once again pay the price for political choices in The Hague. The Cabinet must stay away from our social security and our contributions. If extra resources are needed, they must be sought where the money is: from the wealthiest, and from the companies that make substantial profits year after year," said Janssen.
