Rail workers have accepted an improved pay offer by Dutch train operator NS, ending a dispute that triggered four regional strikes during June.
The CNV union said 67% of its members had accepted NS’s final offer of a 4% pay rise, with an additional 2.75% from March next year.
Unions had criticised the offer, which fell short of the 7% they had demanded to offset the impact of inflation, but the CNV said it would not call further strikes now the deal had been endorsed.
“Far from everyone was happy with it, but a majority sees it as acceptable,” CNV negotiator Henk Jongsma said,
The other two unions involved in the negotiations, FNV and VVMC, have not yet announced the results of their members’ ballots.
Rail workers in the Midden region around Utrecht went on strike on June 6, bringing the whole network to a halt because train drivers in other regions were unable to get to work.
Further stoppages took place on June 10 in the Randstad area and June 13 and 17, some of which also affected international and night train services.
NS has received more than 100,000 claims from passengers who were affected by the disruptions to services. Anyone who was forced to arrange alternative transport has the right to compensation of up to €25 per day.
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