Photo: Depositphotos
Train services across the country are expected to feel the impact of a second one-day regional strike, this time in the west of the country.
NS staff are walking out at stations in Zuid-Holland province, including Rotterdam, The Hague and Leiden, after talks between unions and managers broke down over pay.
The lack of trains in the densely populated region is expected to affect timetables in the rest of the country, as many inter-city trains pass through Rotterdam and Leiden. Services between Amsterdam and Brussels are also reduced, but the high-speed Thalys service to Paris and the Eurostar to London are unaffected.
The strike is the second of five regional stoppages called by the FNV, CNV and VVMC, who are demanding a €100 across-the-board pay rise and a minimum wage of €14 an hour.
The national train operator NS is offering a staggered 8% pay increase over two and a half years. It says it is still feeling the after-effects of the coronavirus lockdowns, when passenger numbers fell sharply, and higher costs.
The remaining three strikes will take place next week in the north-west region, including Amsterdam (August 29), the central region including Utrecht (August 30) and the south and east (August 31).
NS said its strike compensation rules will apply, meaning passengers whose journeys are disrupted can claim up to €25 towards the cost of alternative travel. More details are available on its website.
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