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The fact that the strike continues, causes a lot of misunderstanding among, among others, associations that stand up for people with disabilities.

Everyone should be able to vote for the Provincial Council on March 15, including people who travel to a polling station by public transport. Yet many drivers wanted to show the provinces on March 15 that they play a role in the battle for a new collective labor agreement. The unions are considering temporarily halting the strikes in regional transport, so that negotiations can be resumed with employers.

reporting point

Almost all buses of regional transporter Arriva are not or hardly running today as a result of the strike in regional transport. You may be duped as a result and you will not be able to get to a polling station. FNV considers it very important that you can exercise your right to vote and has decided to set up a hotline. The hotline is intended for people who have difficulty walking or a disability and really depend on public transport to vote. The reports they receive are passed on to active members in the region, who try to find a suitable solution in consultation.

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"There has been a lot of pressure among our supporters to go on strike on Wednesday. We think we also have our right to strike. From Thursday we will try to work it out together."

The fact that the strike continues, causes a lot of misunderstanding among, among others, associations that stand up for people with disabilities. People with a mobile disability can still go to the polling station today despite the public transport strike. The province of Utrecht therefore offers these people the opportunity to use the regional taxi for free. 

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elections March 15

The Netherlands Institute for Human Rights is pleased that many people have offered to provide replacement transport, but that is not a solution for everyone. It is precisely the purpose of the Convention that people with disabilities should be able to travel and vote independently and not be dependent on others. It goes without saying that the Board respects the rights of employees in regional transport. With their actions, they are committed to protecting their rights, such as the right to good working conditions and the general interest of good public transport. That is also a fundamental right. 

It is unavoidable and justified that the actions entail a certain degree of nuisance. At the same time, the Colleague writes that we must take into account that elections are held only once every four years and that it is not possible to vote on a day other than 15 March. Due to a strike in regional transport on that date, the fundamental right of people with a disability to vote independently is therefore at stake.

really annoying

The Minister of the Interior Hanke Bruins Slot already sat down with municipalities and provinces last week to come up with solutions if there were to be a strike on Wednesday. She called on the unions to ensure that the strikes would not interfere with voting and said she found it "really annoying and disappointing". Striking is “of course a fundamental right”, says Bruins Slot, but “casting your vote in a democracy is also an extremely important fundamental right”.

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