# ANWB staff strike for 12 hours on Monday over pay

> Drivers with a breakdown may wait longer on Monday, when unions FNV and CNV hold the first full-day strike in the ANWB's history, though a court has ordered minimum staffing.

Economy · published 2026-11-08 23:18 · https://nlnow.nl/a/anwb-staff-strike-for-12-hours-on-monday-over-pay/

Unions FNV and CNV have called a twelve-hour strike at the ANWB for Monday, the first time its employees stop work for a whole day. The summary-proceedings judge in Utrecht ruled on Friday that the strike is lawful but must not run at full strength.

**Why it matters**

- Roadside assistance (Wegenwacht) must be staffed at a minimum of 12.5%, so breakdowns in dangerous spots, such as a stopped car on the hard shoulder or in a tunnel, are dealt with. Staff who do not want to strike are deployed first.
- The alarm centre must be staffed at 85%; if too few staff are willing to work, the unions must send strikers.

The unions have negotiated since February over a new collective labour agreement (cao) for more than 4,000 ANWB employees. The ANWB's final offer, including a 7.5% pay rise over two years, was rejected by 78% of FNV members and 70% of CNV members. The ANWB says 7.5% is the most it can responsibly offer while keeping the company on a stable footing. Employees already stopped work for two hours last month.

The court ordered the Alarmcentrale, the ANWB's emergency call centre, to be staffed at 85% and the Wegenwacht, the roadside assistance service, at a minimum of 12.5%. If too few employees are willing to work, the unions must send strikers. The ANWB had asked for the strike to be stopped, saying it feared for road safety and its responsibility to members. It says it respects the right to strike.

A demonstration is planned on the Malieveld in The Hague, the first time ANWB yellow vans drive onto the field. FNV expects more than 600 employees to stop work. FNV had asked for a structural pay rise of 6% from 1 April 2026 and a standard 36-hour working week with the same salary. It also wants an end to seven-day working weeks at the Wegenwacht.

## Background

- **ANWB (Algemene Nederlandsche Wielrijders-Bond)**: The Dutch motoring and cycling association. It offers roadside assistance, travel services and insurance, tests products such as child car seats, and speaks for road users.
- **FNV (Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging)**: The largest trade union federation in the Netherlands. It negotiates collective labour agreements (cao's) and takes part in national talks with employers and the cabinet.
- **CNV (Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond)**: CNV is a Dutch trade union federation, a Christian-based umbrella of unions that represents employees in negotiations with employers. It negotiates collective labour agreements and advises and supports members on work-related matters such as pay, working hours and employment conditions. Its role in disputes like the ANWB strike is to bargain on behalf of its members and, if talks fail, to call industrial action.
- **cao (collectieve arbeidsovereenkomst)**: A cao is a collective labour agreement in English: a written agreement between trade unions and an employer or employers' organisation that sets the terms of employment for a group of workers in a sector or company. It covers matters such as pay rises, working hours, holiday pay and allowances, and usually runs for a fixed period before a new one is negotiated. Most employees in the Netherlands are covered by a cao, so its terms often determine their wages and conditions.

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