Laundry workers strike in the Netherlands over wage deadlock

Laundry workers in the Netherlands have launched a 24-hour strike following a deadlock in collective labor agreement (CAO) negotiations. The industrial action affects facilities in Hoogeveen, Bolsward, Hardenberg, and Tiel, involving approximately 400 employees.

The FNV union rejected a final offer from employers, demanding a 6 percent structural wage increase, automatic price compensation, and measures to reduce high workloads. A specific point of contention is the use of screens in production environments that display employee performance, which the union claims increases stress and pressure.

Employers, represented by industry organizations FTN and Netex, expressed regret over the situation but noted that an agreement has already been reached with the CNV union. The employers' current offer includes a 4.3 percent wage increase and a one-time payment of 200 euros for most workers.