Regional bus and train staff strike one day a week until Christmas
Unions FNV and CNV say bus drivers and train drivers in regional public transport will strike weekly from Wednesday, after cao talks stalled.
Bus drivers and train drivers in regional public transport will strike one day a week until Christmas, unions FNV and CNV announced. The first strike day is Wednesday. The nationwide action follows stalled negotiations over a new collective labour agreement (cao) that covers about 13,000 employees.
The cao applies to staff in city and regional transport, except city transport in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam. Most of the employees are bus drivers, working at companies including Arriva, Hermes, EBS and Qbuzz. The previous cao expired at the end of June.
The unions say they will announce the next strike day only later. CNV negotiator Niels Rook said: "We will not let the actions be sabotaged by employers who start making emergency timetables at the last minute."
The employers' association, the Vereniging Werkgevers Openbaar Vervoer, regrets the actions and says a "fair proposal" was on the table.
Marijn van der Gaag of FNV Streekvervoer said: "We gave employers a clear chance to return to the table. They are not taking it. They choose to hold on to their huge package of deteriorations. Then we have no choice but to take action."
Van der Gaag said the union understands that the strike affects travellers, but that sick leave in regional transport is already high. CNV says it wants healthier, more regular rosters and a better work-life balance.
cao (collectieve arbeidsovereenkomst)
The collective labour agreement is a written contract between employers and trade unions that sets the standard wages and working conditions for a specific company or an entire industry sector. It matters because it ensures consistent employment terms, such as working hours, notice periods, and holiday entitlements, for all covered employees.