Members of the two biggest railway unions have rejected an improved pay offer by Dutch train operator NS, raising fears that the strikes would now continue. NS workers staged four regional strikes during June in support of their pay claim.

Earlier on Monday, the CNV union said 67% of its members had accepted NS’s final offer of a 4% pay rise, with an additional 2.75% from March next year.

But members of the two biggest unions – FNV and VVMC – rejected the offer in their ballots, it emerged on Monday afternoon.

Both unions said that more strikes are now on the cards. Under VVMC members, 60% of whom rejected the pay offer, the willingness to strike is “considerable”, the union said.

Union leaders had criticised the offer, which fell short of the 7% they had demanded to offset the impact of inflation.

Rail workers in the Midden region around Utrecht went on strike on June 6, bringing the whole network to a halt because train drivers in other regions were unable to get to work.

Further stoppages took place on June 10 in the Randstad area and June 13 and 17, some of which also affected international and night train services.

NS has received more than 100,000 claims from passengers who were affected by the disruptions to services. Anyone who was forced to arrange alternative transport has the right to compensation of up to €25 per day.