National strike halts Dutch trains for 4 hours on June 24 morning
Bus, tram and metro services are also affected as unions protest planned benefit cuts and pension changes.
Dutch national rail service will stop operating nationwide on Wednesday, June 24, from 04.00-08.00 local time because of a national strike by public transport workers. Operator NS asked people to delay morning travel, saying service recovery is expected to be gradual and disruptions could continue into the afternoon or evening.
The action follows a call from the Dutch Trade Union Federation, FNV, which announced strikes in late May to protest government plans to cut social security. Disputed issues include lower unemployment and disability benefits, a lower maximum daily wage threshold, and an accelerated plan to raise the retirement age. In addition to trains, staff at bus, tram, metro and cleaning services are also reported to be on strike.