The railway strike has been temporarily suspended for negotiations.
The Dutch CNV union announced a temporary suspension of railway strikes after agreeing to a call from NS to resume collective labor agreement negotiations, pledging not to announce any new strikes until at least Wednesday. It is still unclear whether other unions, such as FNV and VVMC, will continue strikes during this period.
The strikes that began last week with the participation of CNV, VVMC, and FNV aimed to pressure for a new labor agreement covering about 17,500 employees at NS. On the third day of the strikes, NS presented an improved wage offer and invited the unions back to the negotiating table.
The FNV union welcomed the dialogue but confirmed its intention to continue the strikes, considering the offer insufficient. Meanwhile, VVMC, the largest union in NS, stated that it is studying the offer but has not shown enthusiasm for it and has not yet decided whether to resume talks. The new offer from NS includes a wage increase of 3.25% for 2025, compared to the previous offer of 2.55%, along with an increase of 2.75% starting on March 1, 2026.
The chief negotiator of the CNV union, Henk Youngsma, said that the union is committed to giving the negotiations a real chance. He added: "It is positive that NS has taken a step towards resolving the dispute by offering better wages and a revised proposal for the tough working conditions. We have not yet reached a solution, but this is a good start for discussions again."
NS company invited the unions to meet on Tuesday, while CNV indicated the possibility of resuming talks starting Monday. No strikes will be carried out on Monday, as the unions were required to announce them by Friday noon, which did not happen. A decision regarding potential strikes is expected to be made on Tuesday, by Sunday noon.