The Dutch government is drawing a line through the plan to increase the retirement age more quickly. Various Dutch media reported this on Tuesday.
Journalist at HLN
Source: BELGA
In the coalition agreement of the Dutch minority government, it was agreed that the retirement age (AOW) would rise faster from 2033. The plan was to allow the retirement age to evolve one-on-one with life expectancy. According to the Central Planning Bureau, the retirement age would therefore be 70 years and nine months in 2060.
The plan had met with much resistance from trade unions and employers, who had previously agreed on a more gradual increase in the retirement age. The opposition also opposed the plan. The issue also threatened to thwart plans for a broader agreement on social security for the government, which does not have a majority in parliament.
Letter
RTL Nieuws now reports that Minister of Social Affairs Hans Vijlbrief (D66) sent a letter to the social partners on Tuesday morning, stating that a faster increase in the retirement age is being taken off the table. With this commitment, the minister hopes to bring the unions back to the table for a broad agreement on social security, the broadcaster NOS also writes. The government is still aiming for a total saving on social security worth 6.5 billion euros.
“Completely inadequate”
The unions had also threatened strikes if the pension plans were upheld, but said the latest proposals were “completely insufficient”. They find many of the plans still too unclear and want to have a conversation with the government first. In the meantime, the planned actions remain on the agenda.
The unions are pleased with the intention to scrap the faster increase in the retirement age. Other proposals, however, are meager and incredibly unclear, it sounds.
