# ANWB staff strike for 12 hours on Monday

> ANWB staff strike for twelve hours on Monday over a new collective agreement, and a court has ruled that only 12.5% of patrol staff must keep working.

Economy · published 2026-11-06 20:14 · https://nlnow.nl/a/anwb-roadside-help-largely-stops-monday-in-12-hour-strike/

ANWB staff will stop work for twelve hours on Monday in a dispute between the unions FNV and CNV and management over a new collective labour agreement (cao). The court has ruled that at least 12.5% of the Wegenwacht, the ANWB's roadside assistance service, must keep working.

**Why it matters**

1. ANWB members with a breakdown on Monday will mostly have to do without roadside assistance.
2. The unions FNV and CNV must ensure the minimum staffing level is met.

ANWB management had asked the court to require 70% of Wegenwacht staff to work. It argued that a high minimum is needed to prevent unsafe situations, and that it has agreements with Rijkswaterstaat, the national roads agency, on removing vehicles from unsafe spots.

The court agreed that safety must be protected but found 70% too high. It ruled that 12.5% is enough to handle the highest-priority incidents, such as cars stranded in dangerous places, quickly and safely.

The unions say the safety risk is limited. Rijkswaterstaat removes most vehicles on motorways and N-roads, they say, and 53 salvage companies in the Netherlands can be called in.

FNV official Paul Lathouwers said the ruling does not affect the strike. “This is a ruling we can work with, and it means we can organise the strike properly on Monday,” he said. The unions say they will abide by it.

## Background

- **cao (collectieve arbeidsovereenkomst)**: The collective labour agreement (cao) is a contract negotiated between employers or employers' organisations and trade unions that sets pay, working hours, holiday entitlement and other conditions of employment for a sector or company. It is binding for the employers and employees it covers. Because it is negotiated for a whole group of workers at once, a new cao is one of the main topics in Dutch labour relations.
- **Wegenwacht**: Wegenwacht is the roadside assistance service of the ANWB, the Dutch motoring and touring organisation. Its patrols go to drivers whose vehicles break down on the road, carry out roadside repairs where possible, and tow cars away when needed.
- **Rijkswaterstaat**: Rijkswaterstaat is the executive agency of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. It manages the national motorways and main roads, the main waterways and the country's water defences. It is responsible for traffic management and for clearing incidents on the national road network.

From NLnow, news from the Netherlands in English. How stories are made: https://nlnow.nl/about/