Buses and trams are unavailable in The Hague on June 2 because workers from the public transport carrier HTM are on strike for the entire day.
This strike was organised by the trade unions FNV (Federation of Dutch Trade Unions) and CNV (Christian National Trade Union Federation). They want two things for HTM workers:
- A wage increase of 5%
- The retention of purchasing power for HTM employees
You’ll find that other buses are present in the political capital, provided by EBS transportation services — their employees went on strike on Wednesday. 😭
Why is there a strike?
Before the strike was announced, the transport company said they would increase wages this year. However, only by 3.1%, reports NU.nl.
Tension rose between workers and employers when they refused to raise the rate of the increase to 5%.
The company explains that the pandemic really set them back economically — everyone worked from home for about two years without needing to commute anywhere.
As long as buses and trams aren’t running, the strike by HTM workers could cost the company as much as €125,000.
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