Thousands of public sector employees will protest in The Hague on Tuesday, 8 September, against the government’s plans for social security, trade union FNV has announced. The demonstration forms part of a wider series of protests and strikes organised by unions FNV, CNV and VCP.
Employees from municipalities, water boards, universities and the national government will gather at the Koekamp in The Hague. Home care and nursing home workers will also take part.
“These are the people who keep the Netherlands running every day,” said FNV chair Hans Spekman. “They implement this cabinet’s policies. And it is precisely they who are now saying: enough is enough.”
The unions have already announced strikes in the ports on 4 September and in public transport on 9 September. They are protesting against the government’s proposed €6.5 billion reduction in social security spending.
“From the ports to public transport, from healthcare to town halls and ministries, people are rising up everywhere and taking action,” Spekman said.
Political choices
FNV argues that the planned cuts are political choices rather than an economic necessity.
“Anyone can become ill. Anyone can lose their job through no fault of their own,” Spekman said. “At moments like that, people should be able to rely on the security system that we have built and paid for together. But this cabinet has chosen to pass the bill on precisely there.”
Public transport workers already staged a strike in June, while unions organised regional demonstrations across the country. At the time, the unions warned that further action would follow after the summer.
According to an FNV spokesperson, additional protests are being planned. The union has not yet disclosed what form those actions will take.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
