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A poster protesting against delaying the pension age. Photo: DutchNews.nl<\/p>\n May 11, 2026 A poster protesting against delaying the pension age. Photo: DutchNews.nl<\/p>\n
Social affairs minister Hans Vijlbrief has promised to come up with revised benefit reforms within weeks after unions threatened to take action unless proposed budget cuts were taken off the table.<\/p>\n
Three of the largest trade unions, FNV, CNV and FCP said on Monday they would use \u201cthe full repertoire of actions\u201d, including strikes, if the cuts were not scrapped within 14 days.<\/p>\n
The centre-right cabinet of D66, CDA and VVD wants to raise the retirement age faster by raising it in step with projected life expectancy rather than by eight months for every extra year of life.<\/p>\n
The coalition parties also agreed to cut the maximum term for unemployment pay from two years to one and to cut the long-term sickness benefit WIA.<\/p>\n
Vijlbrief did not say how intended to change the cabinet\u2019s plans, but he said he would do his best to meet the unions\u2019 deadline of May 30. \u201cI expect that the unions also feel a responsibility to talk about the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eroding trust<\/p>\n
FNV chairman Hans Spekman took an uncompromising stance on Monday, saying the unions were not prepared to negotiate<\/a> \u201cas long the plans for the [state pension] AOW, [unemployment benefit] WW and [incapacity benefit] WIA are not off the table.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe bill for all this cabinet\u2019s plans is being picked up disproportionately by working people, pensioners and people on benefits,\u201d Spekman said. \u201cThis is hitting people\u2019s existence.\u201d<\/p>\n Hans van den Heuvel, chair of the CNV, accused the government of eroding trust by breaking the multiparty agreement on pensions that was reached in 2019.<\/p>\n \u201cThere has hardly been any movement by the cabinet in four months,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is not just a political dossier, it is a human one. It concerns people who stand to lose thousands of euros.\u201d<\/p>\n Benefits<\/a> Pensions<\/a> Politics<\/a> Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.<\/p>\n We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.<\/p>\n