Dutch Bus Strikes Loom as 95% of FNV Drivers Say No

Regional bus and train services across the Netherlands are drifting back towards industrial action after FNV members rejected their employers' final pay offer by an overwhelming margin. The union said 95% of those who voted turned the deal down, and that 97% of the no voters also backed strikes.

The ballot covered the CAO Openbaar Vervoer, the collective agreement for more than 13,000 workers, most of them bus drivers at companies including Arriva and Transdev. It is the same dispute that produced a one-day nationwide walkout last month, and the result now hangs over December, the busiest stretch of the year for shopping, parties and travel in and out of Amsterdam.

A record turnout and a 95% no

FNV said more than 5,500 members cast a ballot, a participation rate it called unprecedented for the sector. The rejected package combined a 2% increase backdated to 1 July, a further 4% next year, a "transparent system for irregularity allowances" and a personal budget.

The union argued that the money does not compensate for the rest of the deal, pointing to what it called deteriorations in income security and too few options for drivers to retire in good health. Employers' organisation VWOV tabled the offer at the end of October after negotiations restarted; union leaders called it disappointing at the time and said further strikes were likely.

FNV said the proposal leaves "deteriorations in income security" and limited room for older drivers to "reach retirement healthy," according to NL Times.

The timing matters. In October the unions announced plans to strike one day a week in regional transport through Christmas. Those actions were suspended after a single nationwide strike day, when buses and regional trains were cancelled across most of the country and the parties returned to the table.

What it means for Amsterdam

Amsterdam's trams, metro and city buses are run by GVB under a municipal concession and are not covered by this agreement. The dispute sits one layer out: the regional buses and regional trains that connect the capital with surrounding towns, plus Arriva and Transdev services elsewhere in the Netherlands. On the October strike day, city networks kept running while regional lines stopped.

For anyone planning a night out or a weekend trip, the practical question is which company runs the route. GVB services inside the city are unaffected by this ballot. Regional buses towards Waterland, Zaanstreek and Schiphol, and regional rail lines operated under the same CAO, are the ones at risk.

CNV decides on Monday

The FNV result is only half the picture. The CNV union is balloting its members on the same offer and will publish the outcome on Monday morning, 16 November 2026. FNV has said it will wait for that result before announcing any possible follow-up actions, which keeps the sector in limbo for at least another 48 hours.

Employers, for their part, have described the offer as final. That position is now difficult to hold: a 95% rejection with record turnout is about as clear a mandate as a Dutch union gets, and the 97% support for action among no voters removes any doubt about appetite for a fight.

What happens next

• Monday 16 November: CNV announces its members' verdict on the same final offer.
• Days after that: if CNV also votes no, expect FNV to name strike dates rather than resume talks.
• Before Christmas: the October plan was one strike day per week; that template is still on the shelf.
• For travellers: check 9292 or the operator's app before leaving; NS intercity services and GVB trams and metro are outside this dispute.

Vibra will keep tracking the ballot and publish strike dates as soon as they are confirmed. If you are planning a night out, a drag show or a weekend trip, a free Vibra profile keeps your tickets, saved events and Pulse points in one place, and our Amsterdam LGBTQ+ party calendar is updated every week.

Sources: NL Times, 14 November 2026; FNV, 13 November 2026; AD reporting cited by NL Times, 14 November 2026.