The railway strike paralyzes the north and south of the Netherlands on Friday
The Dutch railway union VVMC announced a new strike in the north and south of the country starting Friday at 4 AM, as part of its ongoing campaign for a better salary offer.
A strike was scheduled for Thursday, but the NS railway company clarified that the strike notice was not submitted 36 hours in advance as required by law, leading to its cancellation. However, the union decided to carry out the strike on Friday instead, increasing confusion among travelers.
So far, the effects of the strike on the entire network remain unclear. On Tuesday, NS had to cancel all train services due to a strike in the central Utrecht area. Despite the cancellation of Thursday's strike, the state-owned NS had warned of disruptions in services due to the prior arrangements that had been made.
NS Company offered a salary increase of 2.55%, but the unions are demanding compensation that matches the rise in inflation, after negotiations that lasted four and a half months without reaching an agreement.
In light of these developments, the AD newspaper reported that tens of thousands of railway users have submitted claims for compensation for their travel costs on Friday and Tuesday. Travelers can claim up to 25 euros if they are unable to use the train, provided they provide proof of using alternative means of transport such as buses or taxis, or they can claim 23 cents per kilometer when using their own cars.