No trams, no ferries, yet classes continue: what the transport strike means for UvA students
Fewer buses, no trains, metros or trams, and not even ferries from Amsterdam-Noord. On Wednesday, public transport across the Netherlands will go on strike for 24 hours. Because most classes are going ahead as usual, some students will have to get creative. How will they keep their studies on track?
Walk for an hour with a knee injury, or skip a mandatory tutorial? Third-year political science student Radin (20) does not yet know what his Wednesday will look like. Normally, he takes the tram to the Roeterseiland Campus because of his injury, but that will not be an option on Wednesday. “If my lecturer does not make an exception, I will have to walk. That is not recommended with my knee, but it is actually the only option.”
Making it work
Radin is not the only student having to work out a solution. From Tuesday night into Wednesday (2:00 a.m.), the FNV trade union will bring public transport to a standstill for 24 hours. No metros or trams will run, ferries will remain at the quayside, and train services will also be suspended, with the exception of the Airportsprinter between Hoofddorp and Amsterdam Central Station. The union is protesting against the government's planned cuts to social security, such as shortening the period of unemployment benefits and reducing WIA benefits.
Despite the strike, most UvA classes will go ahead as usual on Wednesday. According to the university, what this means for attendance requirements varies by programme. For practicals, clinical placements and (online) lectures, attendance will in principle still be required. Students are advised to check Canvas for the specific arrangements for each course.
On the floor
First-year Media and Culture student Alkım (19) is certainly willing to go to great lengths to attend his lecture for the course Living Information. “I still live in Hilversum, but I was lucky enough to find a room in Diemen. At first, I was planning to cycle from Hilversum to Oudemanhuispoort on Wednesday, which would take an hour and a half. Now I am considering sleeping on the floor of my unfurnished room in Diemen. Attendance is not mandatory, but I think it is important to keep up with everything during these first few weeks.”
Communication Science student Radvilė (19), who lives in Amsterdam-Noord, was also worried about missing her class. “With the ferries not running, an Uber to campus would have been my only option, and that is just very expensive. Luckily, we have now agreed with our lecturer to hold the seminar online. That makes a huge difference: at least I can still participate.”
