Biggest rail union calls strike in north and south on Friday

The biggest Dutch railway union VVMC has called a new strike in the north and south of the country for Friday as part of their ongoing campaign for a better pay offer.

Earlier the NS said that the unions had not met the 36 hour notification period for a strike first mooted for Thursday, meaning that would not go ahead. Now the VVMC has said the next strike will start at 4 am on Friday morning instead, maximising confusion for commuters.

As yet it is unclear what the impact on the entire rail network will be. On Tuesday, the NS cancelled all train services because of a strike in the central Utrecht region.

The state-owned railway firm had already warned that rail services would be disrupted on Thursday, despite the strike cancellation, because it had already made preparations.

The NS has offered a 2.55% pay rise but the unions say they want compensation for inflation. The strikes follow 4.5 months of talks without conclusion.

Meanwhile, the AD reports that tens of thousands of rail users have summited claims to have their travel costs reimbursed because of the strikes on Friday and Tuesday. Travellers can claim up to €25 if they are unable to use the train.

Passengers are asked to provide evidence of alternative transport, such a bus or taxi. They can also claim 23 cents a kilometre if they use their own cars.