Dutch political party VVD wants to push for free train travel for every soldier in military uniform — and plans to present this with the defence budget later today.

In Germany, military soldiers have been given the opportunity to travel by train for free since 2020. 

Now, the Dutch finally want to jump on the bandwagon and offer its own comrade-in-arms the same benefit.

The VVD’s strategy

“This is good for the recognition, visibility, and appreciation of our soldiers,” Dutch politician of the VVD, Peter Valstar, tells RTL Nieuws. 

Like many businesses in the Netherlands, the Dutch armed forces are facing a shortage of personnel and have been looking for ways to attract more people.

Fortunately, the VVD has a solution: If soldiers are offered free train travel, they’ll make an appearance in and around train stations in the Netherlands more often. 

The cabinet hopes that more youngsters will see these soldiers in uniform and be inclined to join the army in the future. 

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“Defence has a big challenge, ten thousand vacancies. And that number is only increasing. I hope that the visibility of uniforms will also make young boys and girls look up to soldiers and think: I want that too later”, Valstar tells RTL Nieuws.

Other parties are more or less in agreement

Several Dutch political parties have shown interest in the VVD’s plan, stating that they’re in favour of having more military personnel seen in public.

However, most want to see further elaboration and substantiation before offering their full support.

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“I want the minister to consult with the Dutch Railways about whether that is also practical and feasible here,” Valstar explains to RTL Nieuws.

While the majority believe the plan to be a sympathetic one, it also stirred thoughts that others on a low-income budget, like teachers, would want free train travel too. 

READ MORE | Train between Amsterdam and London saved: will more than double capacity in future

Left-wing parties, like SP and PvdA, agree. They’re against the decision to offer free train travel solely to military personnel — believing that it should be free for larger groups too.

What do you think about the plan to give Dutch military soldiers free train travel? Tell us in the comments below!

If you thought that the Netherlands, a country known for its open-mindedness, doesn’t face any inequality anymore, we have some bad news for you!

While the gender pay gap is smaller than in many other countries, women still make significantly less than men. 

According to a new study by CBS, women make an average of €2 less per hour in the Netherlands. That’s equivalent to making about 6% less than men at the end of the day. 

The business path slopes towards men

In the private sector, women still earn €5 less per hour or 19% less than men with similar jobs, age, experience and level of education, writes RTL Nieuws.

READ MORE: Woot woot: Dutch women opened even more businesses

But, the business sector has the most visible differences. Since 2008, there has not been much change in the Netherlands for that career field. 

While women have moved up by €1 per hour, the difference in pay with male managers is still almost 20%.

Is there any hope?

Well… we sure hope so! 

While the current situation is far from perfect, there have been some improvements in the past years. For instance, today’s average 6% pay difference was up to 8% in 2018. 

And, to keep your hopes up, in 2008, female managers employed by the government earned €3 less per hour than their male colleagues.

Today, the most recent figures from Statistics Netherlands show that there is no longer any wage difference between male and female managers employed by the government.

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It’s no laughing matter — the Dutch government plans to ban nitrous oxide from January 1, 2023. 🎈

This means that it will soon be illegal to sell or own nitrous oxide, reports RTL Nieuws.

Safety was a major concern with nitrous oxide usage

The decision to ban laughing gas was jointly announced by State Secretary for Health, Welfare, and Sport, Maarten Van Ooijen, and Minister of Justice and Security, Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius.

In a press release from the government, Secretary Van Ooijen stressed the enormous health risks of recreational nitrous oxide use.

Meanwhile, Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius touched on the enforcement aspect of the decision — that it would help the police take immediate action. In the future, this could likely prevent fatal road accidents.

Travel isn’t the only thing that gets delayed!

The decision to ban laughing gas actually came two years later than expected (must’ve taken an NS train to get there 🤷🏻‍♀️).

This was due to various delays in the parliament, which involved the need to prove adequate reasons for the ban and provide more information about prevention.

However, events during recent years have given authorities cause for concern.

READ MORE | Man drives car into canal, ends up doing laughing gas on its roof

In 2021 alone, there were nearly 595 road accidents involving nitrous oxide. Of these, 116 resulted in serious injuries, according to the NOS.

What about businesses?

Manufacturers and wholesalers of nitrous oxide will now be required to obtain exemptions.

One important stipulation is that small ampoules (such as those in whipped cream syringes) are not to be sold to third parties.

Its professional use in medical and technical professions is to remain permitted, however.

What do you think of the government banning laughing gas? Tell us all about it in the comments below!