Yes

Lets all work longer and harder whilst our government wastes money on the EU, Refugees, welfare for non Dutch nationals and overseas aid! All this whilst our old people shiver in the cold because they can't afford electricity!

I just cannot wait for the retirement age to reach my 76 years!
No doubt the "kwartjes" saved can now be used to finance the young unemployed!
I also think you should NOT prevent people from commenting about Geert Wilders and his "honored" opponents!

Have to agree with Phil on this one. This goes for many countries and not just NL but by time we reach retirement age we'll be lucky if there's anything left in the pot for us. Safer to assume we'll have to rely on our private pensions (and hope our employers don't mismanage our pension funds!!)

I heard somewhere that a baby born in 2012 either in NL land or the UK might not retire until he/she is 80, this is because people are expected to live to 100 or more. That is frightening.

Phil, you might wanna check the FACTS pertaining to the number of Dutch nationals on welfare/pensions.The Netherlands is an aging country after all. Also please provide FACTS about "old people shiver in the cold because they can't afford electricity. Do you know how many benefits elderly citizens have here??

Phil,stop it ; i am the only buitenlander on my street and the only person with a job. I do not know a buitenlander whithout a job.From my point of view i pay for theyre parties , beer taxi and theyre hollidays and i am still the uneducated buitenlander.

I have to agree with Neo and Enough is Enough - I came here 6 years ago as basically no Dutch people had the work ethic to fulfill the job that the company wanted.

I now run a company here, and there is no way I would emply a Dutch person, after years of trying to find someone with any sort of worth ethic here. 4 days a week, holidays, cars... those are the questions that are asked in interviews, not what their role would be.

The only people who took a professional attitude to work, were so-called 'buitenlanders' - and that is what the Dutch economy is based on - a Labour Force from other countries to pay taxes.

When AOW was introduced in 1956 the average man worked 49 years ( 16 through 65 ) and received 6 years of pension ( 65 through 71 - the life expectancy at the time ).

Todays children will stay at school/university until their 20's, and live to near 100. We can't possibly expect 40 years of working life ( 25-65 ) to pay for the other 60 years of non work. We either need to work longer, or pay *much* more into taxes and pensions. Unfortunately, probably both.

@ Phil, Didn't you say elsewhere that you are an expat (ie, non Dutch)?

I support it, even though the rise of the retirement age is hitting me too. Somehow I've always found it odd how people spend their entire lives waiting for a certain (high) age before they finally allow themselves to 'do what I always wanted'.

We should have a system like this instead: some years of work, 1 year of state allowance, some years of work, 1 year of state allowance, and so on. (And all have a job that we like so we can do it until we are 90, of course. :-P )

"Phil" is dead right in his comments, at least as far as Australia is concerned. Except that we do not (yet) finance the EU!