Dutch train workers will strike again on Tuesday in the eastern and northwestern regions of the Netherlands after unions rejected a wage offer from NS (Dutch Railways) management. This will be the fourth strike in recent months as unions and NS remain in conflict over a collective labor agreement.

The strike will affect train traffic in Arnhem, Deventer, Ede-Wageningen, Enschede, Hengelo, Nijmegen, Zutphen, Alkmaar, Almere, Amsterdam, Den Helder, Haarlem, Hoorn, Enkhuizen, Zaandam, and Schiphol. Trains are not expected to run in the affected areas.

The unions, VVMC and FNV Spoor, are demanding higher wages and better working conditions. While the NS management presented an initial offer with a slightly higher wage proposal on Friday, the unions deemed it insufficient. According to a VVMC spokesperson, the offer mainly compensates employees for inflation without significantly increasing their purchasing power.

NS CEO Wouter Koolmees expressed his disappointment with the strike, stating that over 1 million travelers will be affected. He emphasized that the company has been suffering losses and cannot meet the unions’ demands for wage increases of 7 to 8 percent per year. Koolmees urged the unions to compromise and consider the financial situation of NS.