The FNV trade union has announced a national early retirement action in public transport for Wednesday morning, September 11.
This strike from 04.00:08.00 to XNUMX:XNUMX will also have an impact on NS train traffic. At this time, it is not yet clear what consequences the strike will have for our passengers and the timetable. The expectation is that passengers will at least experience inconvenience from this strike. NS will share more information about the expected impact on the train service early next week and advises passengers to keep an eye on the website and the journey planner.
The Dutch Trade Union Federation (FNV) has officially announced that NS employees will stop work on September 11. This strike, which will take place between 04.00 a.m. and 08.00 a.m., is a direct result of the growing dissatisfaction among staff with the current heavy work arrangement. The scheme, which allows employees with physically and mentally demanding work to retire earlier, expires in 2025, and a new and improved alternative has so far been delayed.
No surprise
The announcement of the strike did not come out of the blue. In recent months, NS employees have expressed their concerns increasingly loudly. According to Karel de Buijzer, director at the FNV, there is a "double irregularity" among the driving staff and maintenance staff. He explains: “The employees have to deal with irregular schedules that also change often. In addition, there is a lot of physically demanding work. You can't keep that up until you're 68.” The double burden of physical exertion and mental stress resulting from the unpredictable working conditions makes the situation untenable for many NS employees.
The tension between the unions and the Dutch Railways (NS) is reaching a new peak.
De call to action seems to be widely supported among NS employees. Support for the strike is growing by the day, and more and more action leaders are signing up to coordinate the action on September 11. The signal is clear: the employees are determined to enforce a permanent and improved heavy work scheme. They want to ensure that those who have done heavy work for years are given the opportunity to retire early and thus safeguard their health and well-being.
wider wave
The planned work stoppage is part of a broader wave of actions planned in the week before Budget Day, in which employees from various sectors will express their dissatisfaction with working conditions and pension schemes. For example, a strike in the cleaning industry is scheduled for September 9, followed by a work stoppage in urban transport on September 10. In addition to the NS, employees in the construction and metal sectors will also stop work on September 11. These coordinated actions are intended to increase pressure on employers and the government and make it clear that current arrangements are not sufficient to alleviate workload and insecurity in many sectors.
