Railway strike to go ahead on Tuesday, negotiations stall
Unions and national train operator NS have not come to a deal on Monday and a planned strike will go ahead on Tuesday, rail unions VVMC and FNV have said.
The strike, the fourth in two weeks’ time, will affect services in the north west and the east of the country, including Amsterdam and Schiphol airport.
Railway workers are calling for a 6% pay rise, but NS had refused to go higher than 2.55%. The unions also want improved early retirement provisions for staff engaged in heavy physical labour.
That bid has since been upped to 3.25%, with a wage increase of 2.27% from March 1. VVMC spoke of an “underwhelming” offer but said it was willing to negotiate. However, Monday’s talks were “disappointing,” FNV negotiator Henri Janssen told broadcaster NOS.
Two other rail unions, CNV and VHS, do not support the strike action.
According to NS chief Wouter Koolmees, the unions are being too rigid in their demands. “It takes two to negotiate,” he said. The unions that are planning strike action for Tuesday show little willingness to deviate from their demands. But what they want is simply too big a financial burden for the NS.”
Koolmees also said the strike action is causing “internal divisions” within the organisation, with office staff hard put to adapt schedules.
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