Adjust your travel plans! Another train strike will soon be taking place in the Netherlands — this time by the staff of Arriva, the train carrier that mostly operates in the north of the country.
Why? Negotiations for wage increases by the collective labour agreement have come to a halt — and staff members are not happy. 🚏
Your Arriva train won’t be arriving
Arriva’s operators and conductors will be striking on December 15, 16, and 19 in Groningen, Friesland and parts of Drenthe and Overijssel. Let’s break it down for you:
- The strike will start Thursday, December 15 in Friesland.
- They will continue on December 16, this time in Groningen.
- The final strike will take place on Monday, December 19, affecting the provinces of Drenthe and Overijssel.
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What does that mean? While the exact implications for the timetables will depend on how many employees decide to participate in the strike, it can be expected that there will be fewer or no trains in the affected areas on these days. 🚅
But…why?
As the NOS reports, the strikes were announced on Thursday by trade unions FNV, CNV, and VVMC.
The unions are pushing Arriva and other regional train companies to offer their staff a 10% wage increase, while also reducing their workload. But employers seem to have different ideas: they are only willing to offer a 5% raise — which the unions say is far too little.
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Head of the FNV, Edwin Kuiper, has emphasised that staff are not satisfied and that their willingness to take action is high.
After the success of the NS workers’ strikes, whose wages were increased by 9.5%, Kuiper believes that Arriva staff want to follow in their footsteps.
What do you think about Arriva’s plan to strike for higher wages? Let us know!