Dutch trade unions staged work stoppages and protests on Wednesday against government plans to raise the pension age, in what could signal the start of a rolling industrial action campaign, reuters reported. Symbolic 65-minute work stoppages and public meetings were held after talks between unions and employers on a compromise to head off a government plan to raise the retirement age to 67 from 65 ended with no deal last week. "The cabinet is misusing the credit crisis to pay everyone two fewer pension years and to pay reduced supplementary pensions," FNV union confederation chairwoman Agnes Jongerius said. Finance Minister Wouter Bos has said he believes it is too early for unions to stage full-scale strikes because the government plans have not been finalised. Stoppages and meetings were planned in almost 40 Dutch towns and cities on Wednesday as unions urged Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende to enter into talks. "We do not exclude more actions," an FNV spokeswoman said. "It is now up to the government to make a decision." The government proposed in March raising the retirement age in a series of measures to combat the financial crisis, but gave unions until Oct. 1 to come up with an alternative plan in co-operation with employers. After talks ended last week, the coalition government is expected to decide within the next month on how it will implement the changes, including a promised transition phase. Social Affairs Minister Piet Hein Donner has said the economy will be short of 800,000 workers by 2040 unless the retirement age rises, and the measure will help state finances after several bail-outs of banks and insurers last year. The government's economic thinktank CPB has estimated that raising the retirement age will save the state 4 billion euros annually. "We need the money and we also need the workers because of the aging population," said Sabine Jimkes, a spokeswoman for the Social Affairs Ministry. A poll by TNS NIPO showed 39 percent of Dutch people think raising the retirement age is acceptable, down from 45 percent in March, while 57 percent think it is unacceptable. A total of 38 percent are prepared to participate in industrial action. The Freedom Party of right-wing MP Geert Wilders, which according to a Maurice de Hond poll could win 28 seats at the next election to become the largest Dutch party, also plans to resist a higher pension age.
