Train traffic in South Holland, Zeeland and West Brabant came to a standstill for hours this morning due to a strike by traffic controllers at ProRail.
This work stoppage, aimed at better working conditions, not only caused chaos on the track, but also major delays on the road due to rainfall and several accidents. Although the trains are now running again, the situation is far from resolved. New actions are already planned.
Train passengers in these regions were confronted with cancellations of both domestic and international trains. The high-speed line between Belgium, Rotterdam and Amsterdam was particularly badly affected. Train traffic slowly started to resume from 09.00:XNUMX, but passengers had to take delays and overcrowded trains into account in the hours that followed.
13 percent pay increase
The strike is the result of a protracted collective labor agreement conflict between the FNV Spoor union and ProRail. FNV is demanding a 13 percent wage increase to maintain the purchasing power of employees. However, ProRail does not want to go further than an 8 percent increase, a proposal that has been accepted by the CNV union. However, this is not enough for FNV. "Our members see inflation rising and feel the pressure on the work floor. These strikes are the result of years of signals that have been ignored," an FNV spokesperson stated this morning.
ProRail has shown understanding for the concerns of its staff, but warns that further wage increases would leave a hole in the budget. “We have already made a generous offer that does justice to the efforts of our employees,” a spokesperson said. “But our resources are limited.”
It is the third time in a week that the Dutch railways have been shut down due to actions of ProRail employees. Last Wednesday, train traffic was severely disrupted in North Holland, parts of Flevoland and Utrecht. On Friday, work was halted in Utrecht and Amersfoort. The effect of the actions was clearly noticeable: stations were filled with stranded passengers, and kilometers of traffic jams formed on the roads around the affected regions.
not over
The actions are not over yet. On Wednesday, ProRail employees in Eindhoven and Maastricht will stop working, while strikes are planned in Zwolle, Groningen and Arnhem on Friday. Serious disruptions for train passengers are also expected there. ProRail advises passengers to seek alternative travel options on these days. The NS also warns that the consequences of the strikes may also be felt after the action periods, because train traffic needs time to recover.
Trade union FNV does not seem to be planning to back down. "If ProRail does not make concessions, we will continue with actions," the union says. The strikes have also reached political The Hague. Minister Harbers of Infrastructure and Water Management has called for a quick resolution to the conflict. "It is of national importance that the railway remains reliable. I call on both parties to continue the dialogue and break this impasse."
