Dutch civil service workers to strike on April 14

On April 14, unionised civil servants will protest the nationwide civil service wage freeze imposed by the Dutch government. The strike will disrupt public services.

Unions protest zero percent line

Dutch unions FNV, CNV, AC Rijksvakbonden, and CMHF Overheid have called employees in the civil service to down tools on Tuesday. Striking employees are set to join the demonstrations in Groningen, Utrecht, Apeldoorn, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Amsterdam and Maastricht.

Workers are protesting the Dutch government's wage freeze. Under the policy, employees will not receive a pay raise or an inflation adjustment in 2026. Unions argue the policy will result in real wage losses for 160.000 employees.  DUO, Rijkswaterstaat, and the Custodial Institution Agency are just a few of the agencies affected by the so-called "zero percent policy". 

Low pay means existing heavy workloads and staff shortages in the civil service are only expected to get worse. Residents will likely feel the knock-on effects as employees are further stretched.

"Harrowing lack of respect" for civil servants

So far, strikes involving customs officers at Schiphol Airport, civil servants in eastern parts of the country and slaughterhouse inspectors have not pushed the government to U-turn on the zero percent policy.

The nationwide strike was announced during a recent FNV strike in The Hague, with the intention of protesting the “harrowing lack of respect for the people who keep the country running”.

Unions refrain from predictions regarding the full impact of the strike, but residents can expect public services to face widespread disruption on April 14.