Duizenden apotheken sluiten hun deuren in Nederland op donderdag en vrijdag

Pharmacie Werknemers in Nederland Starten Twee Dagen Staking

Pharmacy workers across the Netherlands will begin a two-day strike on Thursday, leading to the closure of thousands of pharmacies. The strike, aimed at securing retroactive and future pay raises, was initiated by labor unions FNV and CNV after negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement stalled. This situation will cause significant inconvenience for patients, as many pharmacies will remain closed during weekends.

Initially, the unions had planned to conduct the labor action during the week of Christmas, which would have resulted in pharmacies being closed for an entire week, including the weekends before and after. However, a court order prevented this impactful strike, lasting a total of nine days, due to concerns about patient safety.

This week’s strike will not impact after-hours pharmacies, which will still be available for emergency prescriptions. In urgent cases, patients may need to contact their family physician first, so the pharmacy is informed of the critical situation.

It is important to note that using an after-hours pharmacy, known as a dientapotheek, may incur additional costs. These pharmacies can charge up to 85 euros more per medication if the prescription is not covered by the basic health insurance plan, to compensate for the higher costs associated with after-hours care.

The workers are demanding a minimum wage increase of 6 percent retroactive to July 1, along with a minimum hourly wage of 16 euros. They also seek full compensation for all working hours, including preparation time prior to opening. Employers have argued that health insurance payouts and government policies have made it impossible to meet these demands. In response, they have proposed a 2 percent wage increase effective July 1, 2024, and a 5 percent increase from July 1, 2025.

No plans have been announced for a nationwide demonstration by the striking workers this week, unlike the large gathering of pharmacy workers in The Hague during the strike on November 12, which marked the first national strike in the sector’s history. Since then, a series of regional strikes lasting from a few hours to a full day have been organized, particularly following the summer of 2024.