1 week Ago
This step comes after the collapse of collective bargaining negotiations between the NS and the unions VVMC, FNV and CNV. Such strikes also took place last Friday and again on Tuesday, although they were planned regionally, those actions resulted in train cancellations across the country.
Dispute Over Wages and Working Conditions Since Last Year
VVMC is demanding pay increases in line with or better than the inflation rate and better working conditions for its train conductors and drivers. "NS is still not taking any serious steps towards our demands on decent wages and conditions," said VVMC director Wim Eilert, adding that passengers should understand where the staff is coming from.
The unions assert that the pay rises put on the table by NS are not enough to cover inflation, and that the company has to come up with a better policy for physically demanding jobs.
Calculated Advantages in Tactics and Escalation of Agitation
Union leaders said they had delayed the planned Thursday walkout because they missed a notification deadline, but that they had also deliberately endeavored to move strategy to Friday to have a bigger impact. "We had had messages that NS had a backup schedule ready to make the effects of the strike as small as possible," said FNV director Henri Janssen. "We need to keep the pressure on."
NS is now evaluating the impact of Friday's strike on national operations. In the past strikes at a regional level have still caused widespread cancellations across the network.
