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Dutch trains back on track after strikes cancelled

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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Dutch trains back on track after strikes cancelled

Dutch train workers will no longer go on strike after an agreement was reached between the FNV union and ProRail.

Train travel was threatened to be disrupted across the country after FNV union members planned to go on strike.

The strikes would be have been at different times in different locations, with a full-day, nationwide mega-strike planned for Saturday, May 1. One strike already occurred yesterday from 6:00 AM until 8:00 AM for trains between Utrecht, Amsterdam, Amersfoort, and Alkmaar.

READ MORE | These dreamy, innovative train interiors could soon be part of your commute

But no need to stress! The trains will keep calm and carriage on after an agreement has been struck on a new collective labour agreement. Trains will now go full steam ahead — for the time being.

However, FNV union members still need to approve of the agreement. If it’s approved, all the planned strike actions will be completely cancelled.

Were you affected by the train strikes? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Alp Ancel/Unsplash

You may be able to summer vacay in Spain with a coronavirus passport

Jana Vondráčková 🇨🇿
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You may be able to summer vacay in Spain with a coronavirus passport

Do you see yourself sipping on sangria at the beach or strolling through the picturesque towns of Spain this summer?

While we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, basking in the Spanish sun may be a dream come true sooner than you think. Spain is planning to open its borders to tourists who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, have had the virus, or can present a negative test result. 

READ MORE | A holiday to Greece with no quarantine? This may be possible soon

A new passport

The country is currently working on a system where travellers get a digital certificate that proves that they fall into one of the three categories — a kind of coronavirus passport, reports RTL Nieuws.  

The system will be tested next month. If everything goes well, you could be lying on a Spanish beach as early as June. 

READ MORE | Dreaming of a summer vacay? This certificate may make it possible

Bringing tourism back to life

Allowing tourists back in the country is supposed to help bring the Spanish tourism sector back on its feet. However, the Spanish State Secretary for Tourism, Fernando Valdés, adds that these digital certificates are not a magic wand with which we can make all the problems go away. 

Earlier this week, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that fully vaccinated American tourists would be free to travel around Europe this summer. 

Are you planning your vacation to Spain? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: Toa Heftiba/Unsplash

Savvy shoppers: long lines at IKEA and Primark upon re-opening in the Netherlands

Chloe Lovatt 🇬🇧
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Savvy shoppers: long lines at IKEA and Primark upon re-opening in the Netherlands

Craving some meatballs or some sweet Swedish furniture? Well, you’re not alone! Christmas has come early for eager shoppers in Rotterdam. As well as terraces opening and curfew ending, today is the first day you can shop without booking a time slot in the Netherlands.

At least this was the case at IKEA in Barendrecht, and Primark in Rotterdam, reports the NOS. From today, a maximum of two people per 25m2 are allowed in a non-essential shop (no change from before) but now you don’t have to worry about those pesky reservations (wohoo!)

READ MORE | How the Dutch government almost became the new owner of HEMA

The restrictions on numbers are not putting off furniture fanatics. It seems people have been desperate for a Billy bookcase, as hundreds queue to ready to shop at IKEA. As you can see, people were equally eager to get to Primark.

The tweet roughly translates to: “If anyone still thought that our consumption behaviour would change permanently in the post-corona era, here’s a sneak peek. Soon again people will be going to Bali and New York three times a year, looking forward to it.”

Will you be rushing to the shop any time soon? Let us know in the comments!

Feature Image: Artem Beliaikin/Pexels

Fights and large crowds on King’s Day in the Netherlands

Chloe Lovatt 🇬🇧
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Fights and large crowds on King’s Day in the Netherlands

In the glorious weather on King’s Day, crowds gathered in parks and outdoor spaces across the Netherlands. Fights broke out in Amsterdam, Breda, and Deventer leading to arrests and police being injured. Cafés, bars, and restaurants were also told to close by police.

Another day before terraces are due to open, Dutchies took to the streets to celebrate Koningsdag. In a number of Dutch cities, the police were called in to enforce coronavirus measures. But the police were not always met with a warm welcome.

Crowds in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark

By the early afternoon, the municipality of Amsterdam had to close Vondelpark. At this point, the public could leave the park but not enter, so people decided to climb the park’s fence.

Eventually, riot police were called in to disperse the crowds. Across Amsterdam there have been 50 arrests, nine of which were for violence, reports RTL Nieuws.

Public told to stay home

As crowds continued to gather across the Netherlands, municipalities told people to not come into cities’ centres.

Amsterdam made this call early on in the day, shortly followed by Utrecht and Delft. As the day went on, more cities pleaded for people not to crowd local parks.

Riots in Breda

Crowds caused a commotion in Breda, the city that was due to hold a King’s Day festival with 10,000 attendees. The Valkenberg Park in Breda had to be evacuated due to the sheer number of people.

Later, the mayor of the Dutch city issued an emergency ordinance for the city centre as well as riot police being called. Over 100 fines were issued in Breda, and one person has been arrested for violence against a police officer.

Catering closed before terraces open

Yesterday, a number of catering establishments were told to close by police in Breda and Haarlem. All cafés, bars, supermarkets, and liquor stores were ordered to shut in Breda, as well as supermarkets being told to stop selling alcohol before the usual 8 PM cut-off point in Amsterdam and Haarlem.

Despite the luscious spring weather drawing people outside, coronavirus infections continue to rise. With the curfew ending, and terraces begging to open, there are doubts about the Dutch government’s coronavirus strategy.

What do you think of the response to these crowds? Let us know in the comments!

Feature Image: Abuzer van Leeuwen/Supplied

Albert Heijn and ALDI say “no more plastic bags” for fruit and veg (finally!)

Jana Vondráčková 🇨🇿
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Albert Heijn and ALDI say “no more plastic bags” for fruit and veg (finally!)

Remember when we talked about Albert Heijn’s plans to ditch single-use plastic bags for fruit and veggies a few weeks ago? Well, it’s finally happening.

The supermarket is banning free plastic bags from all its stores. On Monday, single-use plastic bags were removed in the first 20 Albert Heijn locations. 

The largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands wants free plastic bags gone from all its (nearly a thousand) stores by the end of this year, reports NU.nl. 

What comes instead?

Single-use plastic bags will be replaced with reusable nylon bags. Those will be given out at Albert Heijn stores for free this week. From next week onwards, customers can buy them for 30 cents. 

ALDI — which has about 500 stores across the country — will be joining Albert Heijn in the endeavour to reduce the use of plastic. The supermarket is replacing free plastic bags with bio-based ones.

The change will be gradual. “We first use up the stock of the old plastic bags,” says a spokesperson for ALDI. After that, consumers will only be able to buy bags made from more sustainable materials. These will cost one cent per bag. 

What are other stores doing?

The Dutch supermarket PLUS sees free plastic bags as a service to the customer. However, they do offer paper bags as an alternative.

Jumbo gives consumers the choice between free plastic bags, reusable nylon bags, or paper bags in some stores. Lidl already introduced its reusable nylon bag, called the Lidl Green Bag, back in 2018.

But don’t go thinking that these plans to gradually remove single-use plastic bags from Dutch supermarkets are going to save the world just yet. While they all sound nice, there’s so much more that supermarkets can do to reduce plastic consumption, food waste, and more.

Are you happy to see plastic bags gone from Albert Heijn and ALDI stores? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Anna Tarazevich/Pexels

Netherlands says ‘doei!’ to curfew

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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Netherlands says ‘doei!’ to curfew

What a day it was yesterday — we celebrated the birthday of good ol’ King Willy, gazed at a stunning supermoon (did you see it?!) and before the night was over the Dutch curfew was lifted.

For the first time tonight, people in the Netherlands can go outside after 10 PM without an exemption. That means if you want to:

  • Take a midnight walk? Go for it!
  • Dance in the street at 3:00 in the morning? Be our guest!
  • Drink on a terrace until the sun rises? Ah, not yet.

First curfew since WWII

For the first time since January 23 people will be able to leave their homes at any time. The curfew was originally a “last resort” from the government because of fears it would bring up memories of the last time the Dutch were under curfew, during the German occupation in WWII.

When the curfew was announced, not all Dutch people were in favour: there were protests and riots over the country, and challenges about the legality of it in court. It took an appeal by the government to have the curfew allowed.

READ MORE | Freedom and face masks: a Hong Kong perspective on Dutch anti-measures protests

More relaxations

Saying goodbye to the curfew isn’t the only thing Dutchies will be doing today. Relaxations of coronavirus restrictions are coming into play.

Non-essential shops are allowed to reopen without appointment slots, and terraces can open between limited hours. We can now have two visitors at home each day, and the number of people allowed at funerals has doubled from 50 to 100.

graphic-showing-dutch-coronavirus-measures-from-april-29
The full range of measures announced at last week’s press conference. Image: DutchReview

Are you happy to say goodbye to the curfew? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Jaycee Mariano/Unsplash

Train delays expected across the Netherlands as workers strike until Saturday

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Train delays expected across the Netherlands as workers strike until Saturday

Were you hoping to catch a train this week? It may be more difficult than you think. Members of the FNV Spoor trade union will go on strike against ProRail from Wednesday to Saturday. As a result, the country can expect a number of train delays this week.

ProRail is a governmental train organization responsible for the maintenance of the national railway network and infrastructure. Its employees include traffic controllers who are responsible for the train timetable. As you can imagine, without a timetable and traffic control, train travel will get very tricky, very quickly.

What’s the strike about?

Members of the FNV Spoor, along with other trade unions such as CNV Vakmensen and VHS Rail Professionals, have been trying to get ProRail to agree to a new labour agreement under which employees would see a wage increase and an earlier retirement.

ProRail’s final offer became an ultimatum — which members of CNV Vakmensen and VHS Rail Professionals agreed to. However, the FNV Spoor trade union is holding its ground. Its members will continue to strike this week.

When and where will the strikes be?

Traffic control employees will strike on different days depending on their location, the NOS reports. Utrecht, Amsterdam, and Alkmaar will be the first to see strikes on Wednesday, followed by The Hague, Rotterdam, Dordrecht, and Roosendaal on Thursday. On Friday, Eindhoven, Maastricht, Arnhem, Zwolle and Groningen will take their turn.

However, regardless of where the strikes will be held, their effects will be seen across the Netherlands. A spokesman for ProRail explains the issue to the NOS, “the Dutch railways are so intertwined that actions at a single traffic control station can already have a major impact on the entire country” — yikes.

In terms of when the strikes will occur, it will be when we most need the trains — the morning rush hour. Officially, the strikes will last between 6 AM and 8 AM. However, train traffic will likely be disrupted until 10 AM as a result.

24-hour strike on May 1

As for May 1, you’ll be lucky to get anywhere on a train. Members of the FNV Spoor will strike for 24-hours starting from 5 AM. The result? No trains for the entire day, according to ProRail.

Where you hoping to hit the tracks this week? What are your thoughts on the strikes? Let us know in the comments!

Feature Image: Skitterphoto/Pexels

Hiep, hiep, hoera! Joe Biden wishes the King a happy birthday

Jana Vondráčková 🇨🇿
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Hiep, hiep, hoera! Joe Biden wishes the King a happy birthday

King Willem-Alexander is turning 54 this year and since the early morning, birthday wishes from people around the world have been coming in.  

One of the first people to congratulate the Dutch king is none other than the US President Joe Biden, who wishes the king a happy birthday “on behalf of the American people.” 

In his message — which he shared via the American embassy in the Netherlands — he doesn’t forget to add wishes to the residents of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for a healthy and joyful King’s Day, reports ND.

Dutch-American friendship

Joe Biden also reflects on the long-lasting and uninterruptedly peaceful relationship between the Netherlands and the United States. 

The Dutch-American friendship started back in 1782 when John Adams became the very first US ambassador to the Netherlands. 

According to the US president, the shared values of human rights, religious freedom, tolerance, and diversity are what forms the basis of this strong friendship. 

What are your thoughts on this wholesome exchange? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: The While House/Wikimedia Commons/Public domain

Sunny days: bright weather on King’s Day in the Netherlands

Chloe Lovatt 🇬🇧
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0
Sunny days: bright weather on King’s Day in the Netherlands

It’s not long until terraces open, and there’s even more bright news for Koningsdag (literally). It promises to be a bright and sunny royal holiday in the Netherlands.

Despite the change to the usual celebrations for King’s Day, you can still enjoy a day off in the sun. We can expect dizzying highs of 17 degrees in the south of the country. Thomas Vermeulen of Buienradar tells RTL Nieuws “there is also not too much wind, which makes it quite pleasant.” ☀️

Supermoon on King’s Day

No, it’s not a crime-fighting vigilante-moon 😂 (although that would be cool). A supermoon is when the moon is about 17,000 miles closer to the earth than usual. Even if there are a few clouds, you will still able to spot this hella big moon on the evening of King’s Day.

Weather stays nice as terraces open

As the terraces open on Wednesday, we will finally be able to have those biertjes in the sun! It’s a pure stroke of luck, as it promises to be mild spring day on Wednesday. Highs of 16 degrees can be expected in parts of the country, with the odd bit of cloud hanging around.

Sadly the pleasant spring weather won’t last long, with temperatures dropping down to 10 degrees come Thursday. So get out those sunglasses and enjoy the national holiday while you can! 😎

What are your plans for a sunny King’s Day? Let us know in the comments!

Feature Image: Valerie Elash/Unsplash

Here come the yanks: Dutch borders expected to open to US tourists this summer

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Here come the yanks: Dutch borders expected to open to US tourists this summer

The Netherlands may see an influx of Americans in the coming months. President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has said that American tourists who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will be free to travel throughout Europe this summer.

Americans who have been vaccinated will able to visit the Netherlands for more than just essential travel, the border will also open up for tourists. While the president of the EU commission is certain of this, she didn’t indicate exactly American tourists can enter the EU, telling the New York Times only “this summer.”

Why is this allowed?

The first reason for why this will be allowed, comes down to the vaccines being used by the US. Von der Leyen told The New York Times that “as far as I can judge, Americans only use vaccines that are approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Therefore, all Member States of the European Union will admit travelers who have been vaccinated.”

The success of the US vaccination strategy is another factor. Von der Leyen explains that at the rate the US is vaccinating, the country can expect group immunity by mid-June.

Vaccination certificates to be decided

However, before the country can open its doors to Americans, a decision must first be made about vaccination certificates. The EU Commission must reach a decision on what these certificates should look like/what is necessary for freedom of travel. This is currently still under discussion.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think the Netherlands is ready for the return of American tourists? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: Skitterphoto/Pexels

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