Netherlands regional transport strike cancelled as negotiations resume

A planned strike in the Dutch regional transport sector, scheduled for Thursday, October 22, has been cancelled. Labor unions FNV and CNV have agreed to suspend industrial actions for two weeks to resume collective labor agreement (CAO) negotiations with employers.

The decision follows a new proposal from the employers' organization VWOV. According to union negotiators, the employers have withdrawn previous proposals to worsen working conditions, such as unfavorable scheduling, and have made concrete commitments regarding wages and regulations for older employees.

The CAO negotiations involve approximately 13,000 employees, primarily bus drivers working for companies including Arriva, EBS, Keolis, Qbuzz, and Transdev. While the suspension offers temporary relief for commuters, unions have not ruled out future strikes if an agreement is not reached within the two-week period. If negotiations fail, new actions could potentially resume as early as November 4 or 7.