As FNV doubts continue, minister plans own pension legislation

Social affairs minister Henk Kamp is planning to draw up his own legislation to increase the state pension age from 65 to 66 in 2020, the Telegraaf reports on Wednesday.


The paper’s parliamentary sources say the cabinet is running out of time to get new legislation on the statute books because of disagreements between the unions and employers.
If they can agree on how to increase the pension age, there is unlikely to be much in the way of protest.

Pause

On Tuesday, the FNV trade union federation called for a two week halt in the talks because of divisions between member unions. They are unhappy at plans to make pension increases dependent on stock exchange movements because all the risk would be passed to pensioners.
In a briefing on the current situation, Kamp told MPs that he would come up with draft legislation in the near future. This may be as early as this month, the Telegraaf’s sources said.
Any agreement between unions and employers in the meantime can be incorporated into the legislation, the paper states.

Don’t wait

D66 MP Fatma Koser Kayer says in Wednesday’s Financieele Dagblad that Kamp should not wait for the union to make up its mind.
‘The FNV is becoming more and more negative,’ and there is no longer any point in waiting for a union and employer-approved solution, she said.
However, the CDA and VVD – which make up the ruling coalition – feel the union should be given more time, the paper says.

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