Baton relay
By RTL Z 0 minutes ago Modified: 0 minutes ago
RTL
Public transport workers in The Hague, Rotterdam and Amsterdam are going on strike today. The public transport workers want the new government to come up with good plans so that workers can stop doing heavy work sooner.
There will be no buses, metros or trams from HTM, RET or GVB between 04:00 and 08:00. This can cause a lot of inconvenience for travellers.
At the moment, there is an Early Retirement Scheme (RVU). This allows people who do heavy work for a long time to retire earlier. They are then entitled to a benefit to bridge the period until the AOW age. However, this scheme expires at the end of 2025. The unions and employees want the RVU scheme to be extended.
Baton relay
The strikes are part of the week of action, in which several sectors are fighting one by one for the new scheme.
Yesterday, cleaners across the country went on strike because they want a better arrangement to be able to retire early. According to FNV director Herrie Hoogenboom, it is the first national strike in the sector in ten years.
And this morning, regional transport in the Netherlands is on strike. Buses, trams and trains from Arriva, Transdev (Connexxion), Keolis, EBS, Qbuzz and NS will not run between 04:00 and 08:00.
Been in action for a while
There has been a campaign for a better arrangement for some time now. Earlier, officers decided not to work during Feyenoord-Ajax. Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb then decided that the match had to be postponed. That match will now be played on October 30.
The police will also stay away from the Ajax – FC Utrecht match next Sunday. It is not yet known whether the match can go ahead. A spokesperson for Amsterdam mayor Halsema tells RTL Nieuws that the decision will be made this week. Ajax against Utrecht is considered a risk match.
Not good enough
Last week, the negotiating unions rejected the cabinet’s offer for early retirement for people with heavy professions. The parties involved do not want to say anything about the content of the offer. “But it is simply not good enough. The gap between their proposal and our demands is too big.”
