Regional buses strike Wednesday 14 October, weekly actions may follow
Bus drivers and other staff in Dutch regional public transport will strike for the whole day on Wednesday 14 October. The unions FNV and CNV called the nationwide strike on Friday after negotiations on a new collective labour agreement broke down following eight rounds of talks and an ultimatum that employers did not meet.
About 13,000 workers fall under the agreement, mostly bus drivers, at operators such as Arriva, EBS, Qbuzz and Keolis. City transport in Amsterdam, The Hague and part of Rotterdam is not covered, so services there are not part of this strike. The unions want wages to rise by 9.5 percent over two years, faster permanent contracts for drivers and a proper arrangement for older staff. They say the employers' proposals would worsen working hours, income and rest time.
If Wednesday's strike does not have the desired effect, the unions plan one action day per week until Christmas. They will announce the exact dates only shortly beforehand, so that employers cannot draw up emergency timetables at the last minute. "We will organise an action day every week in the coming period," said CNV negotiator Niels Rook.
If you depend on a regional bus, plan another way to travel on Wednesday 14 October: consider the train, cycling, carpooling or working from home, and warn your employer or school early. Check your operator's website or app on Tuesday evening and again on Wednesday morning, because some services may still run. Keep an eye on the news in the following weeks, as further strike days may be announced at short notice.