13/12/2017
AMSTERDAM
More than 60,000 elementary school teachers in the Netherlands went on strike yesterday, demanding increases in wages and better working conditions by employment of additional staff, according to the Teachers’ Union (Abo). It is the second national strike of teachers within two and a half months (after several years), as their demand for additional state funding of 1.4 billion euros (900 million for increases in wages and 500 million for additional employment) has not been satisfied yet by the government.
A survey published in the Trouw newspaper on the occasion of October strike outlined the significant deficiencies in Dutch primary schools and the intensification of work: It is estimated that 31,000 Primary School Teachers have left the educational system, while many of them (about 2 / 3) would return if wages and working conditions would be improved.