The relay strikes started in Leiden at the beginning of March. Photo Roland Pupupin for AOb The strike on Monday, 14 April, is a crucial moment for WUR to show the outside world it disagrees with the budget cuts in education. However, it is up to WUR employees to demonstrate their willingness to strike on 1 April.
WUR’s contribution to the national relay strike on 14 April is beginning to take form. The preliminary programme for the protest in Wageningen has been published (see box). Nonetheless, the action committee stresses that the event planned for this Tuesday is at least of equal importance. ‘That is where we show the unions and our executive board how much support there is among WUR employees, students and stakeholders. We want to show our solidarity with other universities’, says Claudia Rot (teacher and PhD student with the Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning group and a member of the action committee.
Right to strike
‘If there is sufficient support, the unions will submit an official request, invoking the right to strike;, Rot explains. ‘That means WUR employees no longer require permission from their supervisor to strike. That means that so-called essential personnel, for example, those working in facilities or labs, can join the strike without suffering adverse consequences. It also ensures union members will be compensated, should the executive board decide that employees on strike must forfeit their wages.’
The likelihood of that happening is small, but Rot clarifies that the executive board still needs to be convinced of the need for a strike in Wageningen. Although a small representation from WUR was in The Hague last Tuesday to inform the Senate that budget cuts in education are a bad idea, our board has some reservations about a protest in Wageningen. They express their negative opinion on the cuts at a national political level but are less forthcoming when it comes to WUR colleagues closing shop for the same reason.’
Support
‘The more face the executive board and the unions see on 1 April, the greater our power. That will also help increase the scope of the action on 14 April. For those unable to be physically present on 14 April in Orion, the action committee has launched an online form in which they can indicate their support for the strike. ‘I hope our executive board joins the protest, as the other universities’ administrations did.’
The committee will present the preliminary plans on 1 April. ‘We designed the programme as a group, but because we have not been representatively elected, we value presenting the plans to the rest of WUR so that they can be changed accordingly if desired.’
Rot is confident that WUR will protest successfully. ‘It sounds crass, but the more news is published on the rigorous austerity measures at other universities, the more aware WUR employees and students become and the more willing they are to protest.’
Preliminary programme WUR strike on 14 April 2025
10:00 hrs: Walkout | Start of the strike with music on the field between Atlas and Forum. Gathering for the march.
10:30 hrs: Opening | Speeches and creating a good atmosphere.
10:30 hrs: March to the Market | Protest march guided by traffic and atmosphere coordinators. The route passes through Wageningen, with flags and musical support.
11:30 hrs: Arrival at the Market | Music and reception at the Market square.
12:00 hrs: Speeches at the Market | Speakers, including the Mayor of Wageningen, representatives from WUR and Wageningen Research, and others.
13:00 hrs: Closing | Musical conclusion and cleanup by volunteers.
The programme and other relevant information about the strike are available under this link.
