Rail passengers across the Netherlands, including those in the northern provinces of Drenthe, Groningen, and Friesland, face ongoing service disruptions as ProRail workers begin a series of strikes after unsuccessful contract negotiations. The actions, organized by the FNV union, will take place intermittently through November 22, with each lasting about three hours.
Today, the first strike action began at the Kijfhoek yard near Rotterdam, while later walkouts will affect various regions, including Groningen. On November 22, ProRail traffic control employees in Groningen will participate in a morning strike from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., potentially impacting both NS and Arriva train services during peak hours. “The strike could cause significant cancellations in morning traffic, but it’s difficult to predict precisely which trains will be affected,” said FNV representative Carl Kraijenoord.
The FNV is demanding a 13% wage increase for ProRail’s train controllers to keep up with inflation, citing the expiration of the previous collective agreement in June. ProRail, however, has called the demand “unrealistic” and instead proposed a raise close to 8%. According to a ProRail spokesperson, the FNV’s demand would require an additional €49 million investment, which the rail operator finds unsustainable given high maintenance costs across its network.
ProRail expressed concern over the strike’s potential sector-wide impact. “The extent to which these actions will affect train services remains to be seen, but it’s clear that FNV is pushing for broad disruption across the sector,” a ProRail spokesperson said.
The FNV, or Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (Federation of Dutch Trade Unions), is the largest labor union federation in the Netherlands which represents workers across a wide range of sectors, including transportation, healthcare, and education. In the ongoing dispute with ProRail, FNV is pressing for a wage increase, arguing that rising living costs have eroded workers’ purchasing power.
