Ministers pledge action on early retirement

Friday 13 November 2009

Ministers have agreed to draw up proposals to encourage older workers not to take early retirement and to get employees to take on more older staff.

The measures are to be combined with the increase in the state pension age from 65 to 67 and were agreed at Thursday's marathon parliamentary debate on the pension plans.

CDA MP Pieter van Geel pointed out during the debate that just 38% of men aged 60 to 65 are still working, as are 18% of women.

But social affairs minister Piet Hein Donner, who is in charge of steering the pension legislation through parliament, told BNR radio later it is harder for young people to find a job than the over-45s.

Although a majority of MPs support the planned pension age increase, there was much criticism of ministers' proposals to help people who do 'heavy work'.

© DutchNews.nl

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