ANPThe police take a work stoppage as a protest
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 09:31
There is an agreement about early retirement in the police. Minister Van Weel, Chief of Police Knol and the police unions have reached agreement on a “bridging arrangement for early retirement”.
According to the agreement, police officers who were born in 1961 and who have had difficult years behind them will be given the opportunity to stop working a maximum of three years before their state pension age. They then receive a benefit amount every month.
‘Not between two stools’
Unlike older colleagues, this group has so far not been able to take advantage of early retirement schemes. The parties have now made agreements to prevent these police employees from falling through the cracks, pending a central agreement on early retirement, also for other sectors with demanding professions.
Discussions about a new arrangement for this, led by Minister Van Hijum of Social Affairs, are still ongoing. Once an agreement has been reached on these ‘general frameworks’, negotiations will then resume in the sectors to work out the details. Agreements still have to be made, including for police employees from after 1961.
Encouraged to continue working
The now announced agreement with the police also states that working up to the state pension age is encouraged. All police officers born in 1961 receive a bonus if they stay until their state pension.
According to Ramon Meijerink, acting chairman on behalf of the police unions, this concerns hundreds of police officers. “Then you should think of employees who have done physically or mentally demanding work for years, worked night shifts or dealt with serious incidents.”
Various actions have previously been taken within the police for better arrangements for early retirement. For example, a few football matches could not take place because police officers refused to attend. The unions are happy with the agreement and there will be no new actions for the time being. There were also strikes in other sectors.
Despite
Minister Van Weel speaks of a good result and he thinks it is logical that police officers with difficult years behind them can retire earlier. “For a group that was in danger of falling through the cracks, the option of early retirement is now well arranged.”
Chairman Kooiman of the Dutch Police Union believes that an important step has been taken with the agreements now made: “I am extremely proud of all those police employees who have fought hard for our early retirement. It is thanks to you that we are taking this step now. gives courage for the next steps towards a structural arrangement.”
