ETUCE stands in solidarity with AOb’s fight against cuts in Dutch Higher Education
Published:
ETUCE expresses strong solidarity with our member organisation, the General Union for Education (AOb), as they launch a new wave of strikes across the Netherlands to oppose severe budget cuts to Higher Education.
These strikes follow the Dutch government's announcement of drastic financial reductions, threatening the accessibility, quality, and future of higher education and research in the country. Despite earlier mass protests involving 25,000 teachers, students, and researchers, and widespread support from businesses emphasizing the critical role of education for innovation, the Dutch government has largely maintained its planned cuts.
Universities have already begun closing programmes and reducing staff, intensifying concerns for students and educators alike. The current strike action began symbolically in Leiden, marking the first time in its 450-year history that professors joined street demonstrations. Protests have since continued in Utrecht, drawing thousands to march through the city centre, and will spread further to Nijmegen, Groningen, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Wageningen, and Tilburg.
ETUCE calls on Dutch policymakers to reverse these harmful measures and fully support quality education as a cornerstone of a fair and innovative society.
