Teaching will carry on during the national public transport strike on 9 September, possibly online

All teaching at Erasmus University will go ahead on Wednesday 9 September. Due to a national public transport strike, there will be no trains, trams, buses or underground services on that day. The answer to the strike can vary per faculty, degree programme or course. Lecturers are free to choose whether to deliver their teaching online.

Like most higher education institutions, Erasmus University will ensure that teaching continues as normal on the day of the national public transport strike. The exact start and end times of the strike have not yet been confirmed, but it appears that there will be no, or virtually no, public transport on Wednesday 9 September. No exams are scheduled for that day.

The strike is a protest by the trade unions against budget cuts to social security. In the government’s latest plans, these cuts have been scaled back somewhat. For example, the halving of the duration of unemployment benefit has been postponed by a year, and the plan to bring forward the state pension age has been scrapped altogether. The trade unions are not satisfied with this, and so public transport workers are going on strike. Other sectors may well follow suit.

Online or not online

Lecturers are free to teach online on the day of the strike or to come up with an alternative arrangement, as stated on MyEur. Students will receive an email about this from their faculty, programme or lecturer. They may also be informed via Canvas, so students are advised to keep an eye on all communication channels.

Staff can discuss working from home on that day with their manager. The message on MyEur also includes four tips:

1. Plan your journey to campus well in advance
2. Allow extra time for your journey
3. Consider an alternative, such as cycling, using a shared scooter or travelling by car
4. Check the latest travel information via 9292 and your transport operator shortly before you leave