Over half of Dutch support public transport strike, despite major inconvenience

Despite the significant disruption the nationwide public transport strike is causing on Wednesday, a small majority of the Dutch population supports it. 55 percent of Dutch people stand behind the strikers, according to an RTL Nieuws survey of its news panel.

Public transport workers are protesting against planned cuts to social security benefits. The government has already scrapped or postponed most of these cuts, but the trade unions FNV and CNV decided to push through with the strike.

While today’s strike still enjoys the support of a majority of Dutch, it is a small majority. There is also a significant group that thinks bringing public transport to a complete standstill is an excessive measure.

Support for the strike is strongest among left-wing voters, with three-quarters of GroenLinks-PvdA (now PRO) voters backing it. Large majorities of SP and PvdD voters also support the strike. As do a majority of voters for the far-right JA21 and PVV. Among coalition voters, there’s no majority support.

The trade unions are also holding strikes against social security cuts at the seaports and in the construction sector this month. There is considerably more understanding for these strikes.

Around 70 percent of Dutch people sympathize with the unions’ cause. A majority of voters think the trade unions should not stop their protest actions yet. 42 percent believe the protests should continue until the Cabinet takes all cuts to social security off the table.