Several thousand government civil servants are expected to converge on The Hague next week in support of a higher pay claim. Home affairs minister Johan Remkes has already rejected the union’s demand of a 2.5% pay rise next year and a 2.5% end-of-year bonus.

The pay talks cover 120,000 civil servants who work for the national government. Remkes says he is not even willing to pay half of what has been asked, news agency ANP reports.