UPDATE: After employers' organisations ASKA and WZOA filed for summary proceedings, the court ruled that the strike would not be allowed to go ahead as the consequences would be socially unacceptable. Therefore, Dutch pharmacies will be open on December 23, 24 and 27.

Pharmacies across the Netherlands are expected to close for the entire Christmas week, as pharmacy workers take part in a nationwide strike. While almost all public pharmacies will be closed during the holidays and December 23, 24 and 27, patients will still be able to get medication for emergencies.

Second national pharmacist strikes in the Netherlands

Since September, pharmacy workers have been taking part in strike action for a fair wage increase and better working conditions, starting with the first-ever strike seen in the sector. After terms were unmet, the trade unions FNV and CNV initiated the first nationwide strike for pharmacists in November. 

Despite this, the industrial action still has not yielded any results so far from employers. For this reason, the Dutch trade unions have announced that workers will take part in walkouts on December 23, 24 and 27, which combined with the holidays means that most pharmacies will be closed for the whole of the Christmas week.

Heavy workload for Dutch pharmacy workers

According to the union negotiators, Ralph Smeets (FNV) and Albert Spieseke (CNV), the job has become increasingly stressful for pharmacy workers. “Pharmacy employees have to explain at the counter why medicines are no longer available, or why someone is getting a different brand of medicine,” explained the union leaders.

“The dissatisfaction about this is often vented at the counter on the assistant who can't do anything about it either. Together with the low salary, this doesn't make the work any more attractive.”

While the unions acknowledge that patients are inconvenienced by the strikes closing pharmacies, “the insurers and employers have let it get this far… The wages in public pharmacies have been lagging behind for years.” With staff shortages worsening, the workload is also becoming heavier for workers. “If this continues, an indispensable link in the healthcare chain will come to a complete standstill.”