On Saturday, the unions’ ultimatum will expire: the government has to scrap all of the cutbacks in higher education, or else... Ehm, or else what exactly? Eight questions and answers on threatening with a ‘political strike’.

The slow-progress penalty may have been scrapped, but many cutbacks in education and research have been upheld. The unions want all of them to be withdrawn and have issued an ultimatum: the minister is to scrap them before Saturday.

The unions do acknowledge, however, that they aren’t planning any concrete actions. So why issue an ultimatum? And why go on strike against the government if that’s not the employer?

1. Can you go on strike for political reasons?

Technically, no. The right to strike concerns your work, not your political preferences. This is why Evert Verhulp, professor of Labour Law at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), criticised the Dutch Federation of Trade Unions (FNV) over a strike at the UvA a few weeks ago. There, staff went on strike due to violations of the right to protest and ties with Israeli institutions. A judge wouldn’t accept this just like that, said Verhulp to the Financieel Dagblad. ‘Even in the broadest interpretation of terms of employment, these don’t cover the battle in Gaza.’

2. Can you go on strike against government policy?

Yes, possibly. FNV negotiator Sam Verduijn speaks of a ‘political strike’. ‘But when we strike against cutbacks it’s also because of the workload. According to the labour authority, it’s already much too high. So if anything, there should be investments in this area’, he says.

3. The ‘workload’ is part of the employment conditions…

And that means this strike has a better chance of being approved by a judge, Professor Verhulp confirms. If the case actually goes to court, that is. Because why would employers want to prohibit strikes against cutbacks to which they themselves are diametrically opposed?

4. So doesn’t the minister think the workload is a problem?

He does: if universities can’t tackle the workload, they can expect measures to be taken against them, Minister Bruins wrote to the House of Representatives in October. But he obviously thinks the workload can be reduced despite shrinking budgets.

5. Do the employees even want to go on strike?

The unions think they do. After the deal on the education budget, they asked their members. Within FNV, 85 percent is willing to strike over the remaining budget cuts. Within the General Union of Education (AOb), this is as high as 90 percent, says the union. This Monday, FNV will have an ‘action meeting’ on follow-up actions with its support base.

6. Why are they only holding a meeting on the consequences after the ultimatum?

Because the ultimatum mainly has a legal function, AOb negotiator Douwe van der Zweep explains. This is the third time since October that the unions have called upon the minister to discuss the cutbacks, but so far he hasn’t responded. ‘Not even an introductory conversation.’

Verduijn hasn’t heard anything either. ‘That fits the pattern: the minister has been unwilling to talk to us for half a year now. We don’t expect to hear anything from him before Saturday. But the ultimatum is also a legal instrument to be able to call a strike.’

7. Why aren’t those actions already starting next week?

‘We’re not in it for the short term’, says Verduijn. Most of the plans will only take effect in 2026. In the weeks ahead, the unions want to convince the Senate to vote against the education budget. And then there will be the Spring Memorandum, in which budget plans are often adjusted. ‘We can’t just have a quick strike and then call it a day. This is something for the long term.’

8. So there’s a chance there won’t be a strike at all?

There is. The union is running out of options, says Verduijn. ‘We were already on the Malieveld with 25 thousand protesters. That’s quite a statement. Any subsequent action must surpass that. So then you do start thinking about strikes.’