Early commuters in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam were hit by major problems getting to work as public transport workers went on strike in support of their campaign for a better early retirement scheme. The strikes are part of a series of stoppages by unions in support of a new early retirement scheme for workers in physically taxing jobs. The current ruling is due to expire at the end of this year. The retirement age is currently 67 years. It emerged that the Government is considering a quota for a new early retirement package. The Social Affairs Minister said he wants to limit the number of people who take advantage of the option to 15,000 a year, and to exclude people earning over € 74,000 a year. Unions are furious at the suggestion, saying it is a slap in the face to everyone doing physically taxing jobs.
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For more information, please contact Paul de Beer or Oana Ciuca, De Burcht (Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement) p.t.debeer@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Mehmet Koksal mkoksal@etui.org. For previous full issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit https://www.etui.org/Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter or consult the archive with all articles in our database at www.cbnarchive.eu.
You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org.