New regional transport strikes remain possible after difficult talks
Unions and employers continue negotiations on a new collective labour agreement, but no negotiating result has yet been reached.
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New strikes in regional transport remain possible. Unions and employers held further talks on Friday about a collective labour agreement for regional transport, but according to CNV, important points have not yet been resolved.
Negotiations on a new collective labour agreement for public transport will continue on Saturday during an additional day of talks. CNV reported this in an update published on Friday. After two days of negotiations, no negotiating result has yet been reached.
According to the union, the employers’ proposals have been discussed, but it is still insufficiently clear what those proposals mean for employees in practice. CNV says agreements are still needed on matters including employment conditions, workload and pay.
The action in regional transport was previously suspended for two weeks. According to FNV, FNV and CNV decided this after employers made new commitments and wanted to resume negotiations. According to the same union, the strike planned for 22 October therefore did not go ahead.
That postponement did not mean that the unions had dropped their demands. FNV wrote that the collective labour agreement for around 13,500 employees had expired at the end of June. The union wants to prevent employees from being worse off and is also seeking agreements on working hours, rosters and sufficient recovery time between shifts.
FNV previously cited a pay demand of 9.5 per cent over two years. Employers and unions also disagree over proposals that, according to the unions, could lead to a deterioration in employment conditions. The precise proposals on the table have not been fully detailed in the public updates.
For passengers, the continuation of the talks means for now that no new strike day has been announced. The threat remains, however. CNV writes that action remains possible if the talks produce insufficient results; FNV previously mentioned 7 November as a possible next strike day.
The outcome therefore depends largely on the additional day of negotiations. According to CNV, any agreement must first be put to its members. It remains uncertain whether new strikes will actually take place.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The collective labour agreement for public transport has expired.
- Unions and employers are negotiating again.
- There was still no agreement on 30 October.
- An additional day of negotiations is scheduled.
- New action has not been ruled out.
Left
Arguments The unions must be able to continue applying pressure if employers do not offer clear agreements on pay, workload, rosters and recovery time. From this perspective, strikes are a legitimate means of protecting employees’ working conditions.
Values Collective bargaining power, purchasing power, good employment conditions and public services.
Consequences Without pressure through industrial action, an agreement could be reached that increases the workload. New strikes are inconvenient for passengers, but according to this approach they may be necessary for structural improvement.
Centre
Arguments The institutional route deserves priority: employers and unions must reach a workable agreement that gives both employees and passengers certainty. A temporary suspension of action creates room for talks, but only if both sides quickly provide clarity about the concrete consequences.
Values Continuity, predictability, negotiation and a balance between interests.
Consequences An agreement could prevent new disruption, but postponement without a solution increases uncertainty for passengers and staff.
Right
Arguments Employers must retain the scope to keep the costs and organisation of regional transport manageable. Structural pay rises or less flexible rosters could ultimately lead to higher fares, greater government subsidies or fewer services.
Values Affordability, efficiency, responsibility for public funds and continuity of services.
Consequences New strikes mainly affect passengers and businesses dependent on regional connections. According to this view, a moderate agreement focusing on productivity could offer greater stability.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s core is confirmed by recent updates from CNV, FNV and NOS. The text clearly distinguishes between established developments and uncertainty about an agreement and possible action.
- confirmed Negotiations on the collective labour agreement for public transport will continue on Saturday. — CNV reported on 30 October that an additional day of negotiations would follow. source
- confirmed No negotiating result has yet been reached. — CNV writes that there was still no result after two days. source
- confirmed Action in regional transport was previously suspended for two weeks. — This is stated in updates from FNV and NOS on 21 October. source
- confirmed The collective labour agreement covers approximately 13,500 employees. — FNV cites this figure in its report on the resumption of talks. source
- confirmed New action remains possible. — CNV writes that action remains possible; FNV mentions 7 November as a possible next strike day. source
Editor's note
It is certain that negotiations continued on 30 October and will continue on Saturday, but no agreement has yet been reached. The precise employers’ proposals and the consequences for the timetable are not yet fully clear to the public.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „streekvervoer staking”
- Het Parool — „streekvervoer staking”
- Trouw — „streekvervoer staking”