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FNV members at a rally in Amsterdam last year. Photo: Depositphotos<\/p>\n April 9, 2026 FNV members at a rally in Amsterdam last year. Photo: Depositphotos<\/p>\n
Dutch trade unions are shifting their campaign to the cabinet\u2019s planned cuts to unemployment and disability benefits, after forcing ministers to freeze a controversial rise in the state pension age.<\/p>\n
The major unions FNV, CNV and VCP have now confirmed a national day of action is planned for May 1.<\/p>\n
Prime minister Rob Jetten\u2019s centre-right minority coalition of social-liberal D66, right-wing liberal VVD and Christian democrat CDA set out three big savings measures earlier this year.<\/p>\n
The first would have raised the AOW state pension age \u2013 currently 67 \u2013 faster than planned. The second would halve the maximum length of WW unemployment benefit, paid to people who lose their job, from two years to one. The third would cut WIA, the benefit for people who can no longer work because of long-term illness or disability.<\/p>\n
The WIA plans include scrapping a part of the scheme called IVA, which is paid to people who are fully and permanently unable to work.<\/p>\n
Losing it would leave them up to \u20ac300 a month worse off. The cabinet also wants to lower the maximum daily wage used to work out both WW and WIA payments by 20%.<\/p>\n
The unions walked out of their first meeting<\/a> with ministers on 2 March and suspended all further talks.<\/p>\n On 8 April a large cross-party majority in the senate backed a motion to scrap the accelerated rise, which would have linked the AOW age one-to-one with life expectancy from 2033.<\/p>\n Jetten admitted there was no majority in either chamber and promised alternative proposals by the summer.<\/p>\n The unions are now turning their attention to the WW and WIA cuts, which remain on the table. Workers who cannot find a new job within a year would drop straight into bijstand, the means-tested welfare payment of last resort.<\/p>\n The unions say the cuts are a political choice, not a financial necessity: the WW fund collected \u20ac11.6 billion in premiums in 2025 and paid out just \u20ac6.5 billion. They are again asking why the cabinet is not raising taxes on wealth or trimming mortgage interest tax relief to raise money instead.<\/p>\n Benefits<\/a> Pensions<\/a> Strikes<\/a> Unions<\/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