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Bill for jobless officials costs Amsterdam €1.5mThursday 28 January 2010 Amsterdam city council spent over €1.5m paying special unemployment benefit to former council executives in 2009, local tv news station AT5 said on Thursday. AT5 obtained the information using freedom of information laws. In total, 32 former council executive board members were claiming the benefit for former politicians, at an average of €52,000 each. The benefit system, known as wachtgeld, entitles politicians who resign or lose their jobs to more than 70% of the salary for up to six years, and they are under no compulsion to apply for other work. The merger of the city's 14 borough councils into seven is likely to add to the total bill, as dozens of local officials lose their jobs. 'It is high time former council executives face the same as other people who become redundant,' local Socialist Party leader Andre Krouwel told the broadcaster. © DutchNews.nl Get the DutchNews.nl newsletter in your mailbox: Click here to subscribe
It is ridiculous in this so called egalitarian society that politicians and the royalty always claim what is denied to the average citizen and taxpayer. Get rid of "wachtgeld" and make it the same as for any other employee. In some ways, elected officials should not really receive anything, as technically they are only on "contract" with their constituents, and not full-time employees. By Quest | January 28, 2010 2:01 PM I understand 70% pay for someone with a low paying job, but shouldn't there be some sort of cap? 52,000 EUR is far more than most Dutch earn! Is not the point of this pay to ensure that they do not slip into poverty when out of a job? I say the cap should be no higher than the average income in the Netherlands. Then maybe they have some incentive to increase wages across the country. And why is it that they have no requirement to look for or accept another job? Everyone else has to. I have heard of college graduates being forced to take jobs clearly beneath their skills - and I support that. There should not be any free rides. I would like to see former council executives have to take a job at Albert Heijn! Perhaps they will finally understand how the great bulk of their constituents actually live! By Matt | January 28, 2010 6:45 PM Place your comments: |
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can't imagine anybody with a plausible argument defending this particular issue!
I understand the need to provide some kind of benefit for those who lose their jobs (especially due to local government reorganisations as mentioned in the article) - but for those that resign their jobs or worse still, 6 years of payment for those who've been in a job for a matter of weeks, days or even hours... please!
By john | January 28, 2010 12:12 PM