Relay strike against higher education cuts begins on Monday

In the lead-up to the vote on the education budget in the Senate, at least ten Dutch universities will take turns striking. The organisers promise that education and research will be halted for one day per city. Rotterdam is set to join the strike on 8 April.

Leiden University will kick things off on Monday 10 March, alongside Leiden University of Applied Sciences. Universities of Applied Sciences in Utrecht, Nijmegen, and Amsterdam will also participate in the action. It is expected that all universities will ultimately take part.

Hasty reorganisations

The relay strike was announced earlier and is being organised by WOinActie, in collaboration with trade unions AOb, FNV, and LSVb. According to them, the announced cuts of over one billion euros will harm the quality of education and research, and are already leading to hasty reorganisations and layoffs, including at the University of Twente, the Open University, and University College Roosevelt.

The relay strike will continue until mid-April and will culminate in a national demonstration. The location and date are yet to be announced. It is also unclear when the Senate will vote on the education budget.