Almost half of workers in the Netherlands (45%) say they will not be able to continue working until retirement age, Dutch workers’ union CNV said in a survey of 2,700 members over 45, the NL Times reported on the 27th. of March.
At the same time, early retirement is financially unattainable for most, the union noted. More than 60% said they would not be able to stop working early because their income would be severely affected. And if the retirement age increases to 70, two-thirds of workers fear they will not live to see that day. According to the survey, 57% of respondents have a physically demanding profession.
“Many of those surveyed started working before the age of 20. They just burn. “It is completely unacceptable to CNV that in a rich country like the Netherlands so many people are forced to work until they die.”said CNV President Pete Fortuin.
The pension agreement concluded in 2019 provides for a temporary regime that allows people in high-demand professions to stop working three years before reaching retirement age. This early retirement scheme pays benefits at the same level as the state pension. Expires at the end of next year.
The union called on employers and the government to develop a new and better early retirement plan. The retirement age in the Netherlands is linked to life expectancy and will only increase in the coming years. The intervention is necessary for people doing difficult jobs, the union said.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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