Amsterdam Transport Workers Protest AI Scheduling System

In summer 2025, Henk de Vries, a driver for Amsterdam's municipal transport company, posted a critical message on Facebook about a newly implemented AI algorithm that generated work rosters. He complained that the system produced impossible shift patterns and forced drivers to overload trams with passengers, worsening working conditions. The post resonated with hundreds of colleagues, sparking a rapid mobilisation of transport staff.

Labour activist Saskia Boumans, director of the scientific bureau De Burcht, likened the reaction to the historic Luddite protests, emphasizing that the grievance targets deteriorating job conditions rather than the technology itself. The episode highlights how AI tools, when deployed without adequate stakeholder consultation, can reinforce management-driven efficiency goals at the expense of employee welfare.