Social affairs minister Henk Kamp is willing to link the annual rise in the state pension AOW to actual wage developments, rather than the average rise agreed in national pay deals, he told MPs on Thursday.

A link to actual wage rises is part of the pension agreement worked out between unions and employers last year. That agreement paves the way for an increase in the state pension age from 65 to 66.
Kamp said he hoped to sign legislation for the increase in the pension age by mid January.

Actual wage rises
However, according to the Financieele Dagblad, the minister would not define what he meant by ‘actual wages’ or whether this included the effect of standard increments and bonuses. Nor could he say how much extra money this would cost.
‘My cards are on the table in the discussions with unions and employers,’ Kamp said, adding that he did not want to speak out of turn while those discussions are ongoing.
According to figures from the national statistics office CBS, wages rose by an average 3% last year. But pay deals sealed in national cao agreements were lower.