Overview
- The unions FNV and CNV launched the first day of a planned series of one-day-per-week strikes on Wednesday, with actions scheduled to continue through to Christmas if talks do not resume.
- The walkouts produced large morning disruptions in several provinces, including a complete cancellation of EBS morning services in Flevoland and heavy reductions in Drenthe, Groningen and other regions.
- Operators such as Qbuzz reported unpredictable coverage because individual drivers can decide to strike, while some routes ran thanks to non-union, temporary or foreign drivers and self-employed chauffeurs.
- Employers’ group VWOV urged a return to the bargaining table and said about half of staff took part, a figure contested by unions that reported thousands of participants and claimed much higher member turnout.
- The dispute centers on pay and working conditions — unions seek roughly 9.5% over two years plus protections on rosters, paid breaks and sickness pay — and employers warn limited budgets, rising costs and existing staff shortages limit what they can offer.