Dutch rail workers will strike again on Friday, impacting train service in almost all provinces outside the Randstad. This action follows two days of complete standstill and is a result of ongoing negotiations for a new collective labor agreement between unions and NS management.

The strike will halt all NS train traffic in Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe, Overijssel, Flevoland, Zeeland, Noord-Brabant, Limburg, and parts of Gelderland.

The unions are demanding a higher wage increase than the 2.55 percent annually offered by NS management, with the VVMC seeking 8 percent and the FNV 7 percent. They consider the current offer insufficient.

The strike will affect many travelers, with one million train journeys made on an average working day. This will make it difficult for many to reach school, hospitals, or offices.

While NS employees are considered to be fairly compensated, with conductors earning an average of 53,000 euros annually, including irregularity allowances, the unions argue that a pay rise is still justified. According to the unions, irregularity allowances compensate for inconvenient hours. They also emphasize that the negotiations are not solely about wages but also about improving working conditions, such as enabling employees in physically demanding jobs to retire earlier.

NS management states that they are willing to slightly improve the offer, but employees need to shoulder some of the burden. The company has experienced financial losses due to decreased ridership and increased costs during the pandemic. NS reported an underlying loss of 141 million euros last year. Moreover, the company faces a reduction of 100 million euros in income from the student public transport card starting in 2026.