THE HAGUE, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Train services across much of the Netherlands will come to a halt on Friday as railway unions escalate their campaign for better pay and conditions, Dutch Railways (NS) announced Thursday. This is the third strike within a week.
No trains will operate in the provinces of Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe, Overijssel, among others, with NS employees in those regions walking off the job from 4 a.m. local time (0200 GMT).
While services elsewhere are expected to follow the normal schedule, NS cautioned that disruptions may still occur due to the interconnected rail network. International trains are scheduled to run but could also face delays or cancellations.
The strike follows earlier walkouts on June 6 and June 10. Railway unions are demanding a 6 percent wage increase and better working conditions, rejecting NS's offer of a 2.5 percent raise as inadequate.
