Amsterdam-Brussels services affected by strike

[DanielB]

For next Wednesday the 22nd of September the guards on the Intercity services between Amsterdam and Brussels have announced a 24 hour strike. The strike only applies to the Dutch guards (as some trains have Belgian staff) and is only affecting the Intercity services, Thalys and Eurostar should run as scheduled.

The guards disagree with their employer NS International about wages: an "unacceptable" final offer was rejected due to the increasing discrepancy with the wages of guards on Thalys, Eurostar and the international services towards Germany.

Also already announced, but still without a final date, is a strike of the NS-staff at the stations as the unions disagree with plans to organise the services at stations differently. When better offers aren't made, the unions already warned that more staff might go on strike.

 

[StephenHunter]

Got a news source for this please?

 

[DanielB]

Sorry, forgot the link: https://www.treinreiziger.nl/conducteurs-intercity-brussel-leggen-woensdag-22-september-werk-neer/ (in Dutch)

And without a date but with more details on the potential further strikes: https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/economie/a...-vakbonden-kondigen-stakingen-op-spoor-aan-ns (also in Dutch)

 

[StephenHunter]

Thanks. I needed that for the European-Rail-Gen Group.

 

[DanielB]

A short update about tomorrow's strike: Intercity Brussels services will only run between Breda and Brussels with Belgian guards. The Amsterdam - Breda part of these services is cancelled, but as only the international guards are on strike passengers can use domestic IC-direct services instead and change at Breda. More at https://www.nsinternational.com/nl/actuele-reisinformatie

Asking for alternate travel advise at the stations will also not be possible as the strike has extended. Also the service staff at the stations will be on strike tomorrow.
That means tickets & service is closed, as well as service desks at stations. And possibly also no assistance for disabled passengers, although that's only done by NS-staff at larger stations.

 

[StephenHunter]

Would these strikes potentially impact Nightjet?

 

[DanielB]

Not at this stage: now only the IC-Brussels guards are on strike as they disagree with the current situation in which they earn less than their colleagues working on Thalys, Eurostar, ICE, IC Berlin and Nightjet.

However, the unions have warned that the strike may affect more parts of NS in case agreement on wages isn't reached.

The strike of the service staff has a different background and happens on the same day by coincidence.