Home affairs minister Ronald Plasterk on Friday said there is no more money for pay increases in the public sector.

Shortly before the summer parliamentary recess, the minister struck a deal with a number of trade unions for a 5% pay increase and a one-off bonus payment of €500.

However, the FNV union federation has not signed the deal and is threatening strikes by public transport workers, teachers, tax and customs officials and prison workers.

Police

These strikes would come on top of the action already being taken by the police whose 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.

Plasterk says it is a misunderstanding to think there is room for manoevre on pay, broadcaster Nos reports. He emphasised that the cabinet has reserved €1.3bn for the deal with public sector workers. This is money which could be used for other things, he implied.