Thousands of police officers are expected to come to The Hague on Wednesday and cut off access to several government ministries in support of their pay claim.

At the same time, police stations all over the country will close and the police will deal with emergency calls only, news agency ANP says.

The police will attempt to stop people entering or leaving the home affairs, finance and justice ministries and the parliamentary complex itself, ANP says. MPs are due to start debating the government’s 2016 spending plans on Wednesday afternoon.

After the blockade, due to end in the afternoon, the police will hold a demonstration on the Malieveld, the area of parkland close to parliament.

The police have been offered a 5% pay increase and a one-off bonus payment of €500, but police unions say the deal is made up of a 2.28% rise over two years, plus 2.2% from changes to the pension policy which may affect eventual pension payouts.