strike

Shoppers planning a last-minute dash for Father’s Day gifts this Sunday face disruption as staff at major drugstore chains, including Kruidvat, Etos, and Holland & Barrett, prepare to stage a strike. The trade union FNV called the industrial action following a bitter dispute over collective bargaining agreements, with workers furious over retail bosses' controversial proposals to slash Sunday overtime pay in half.

Dutch public transport will grind to a halt on the morning of 24 June as workers strike over proposed social security cuts. The FNV union demands that the government withdraws its plans to alter state pensions and unemployment benefits before a deadline on 25 May. If ministers refuse to compromise, transport leaders warn that larger strikes will follow after the summer.