All events in the Dutch parliament have been canceled due to a strike
All debates and other events in the Dutch House of Representatives on Tuesday were canceled. The reason was a strike by civil servants, which disrupted parliamentary proceedings.
This was reported by NOS.
Speaker of the lower house Tom van Kampen believes that due to the strike, there will not be enough staff to ensure its operation.
Therefore, the “question time” and votes held every Tuesday will not take place on April 14. This week’s “question time” is canceled entirely, and the votes are postponed to Wednesday.
A new date is being sought for the debates on antisemitism, which were scheduled for Tuesday evening. Additionally, it remains unclear what will happen with the planned committee meetings.
Van Kampen notes that the civil servants’ strike is their democratic right. He does not believe that a one-day strike will harm the democratic process of the House, and emphasizes that the agenda was carefully planned with this in mind.
At this time, the strike has no impact on the Senate, according to its spokesperson. The second part of the debate on asylum laws is scheduled there tomorrow.
Civil servants are striking because negotiations on the collective bargaining agreement have reached an impasse. They are particularly dissatisfied with the so-called “zero line,” which means they will not receive a pay raise this year. This cost-cutting measure was introduced by the previous government of Dick Schoof. According to the unions, this has hit civil servants working in executive agencies particularly hard.
Smaller strikes by civil servants have taken place before. At the time, the consequences were limited.
A strike in Germanycould bring cities to a standstill.
Also, Europe must become the moral leader of the world, Sanchez said.
Macron discussed the war in Ukraine and the Middle East with Erdogan.
