With 186 votes in favour and 155 against, a small majority of the board of Dutch umbrella organisation of unions FNV has accepted the new pension agreement.

Bondgenoten and Abvakabo, who have both been strongly against the agreement, and FNV Sport, have voted against the agreement. According to Abvakabo director Corrie van Brenk the FNV board does not represent its members adequately. While Bondgenoten and Abvakabo represent 60% of the members, they only have 45% of the votes in the federation council.

Both unions have denounced their confidence in FNV chair Agnes Jongerius, which has resulted in a separation within the umbrella organisation. In the meantime, the two biggest FNV unions will put forward their pension demands during the CLA negotiations.

Social Affairs minister Henk Kamp said he can now start working on the pension agreement, which the government negotiated with the employers and the unions. A majority vote in the government was secured on Friday, when Kamp’s concessions to ensure manual labourers could still retire at 65 convinced the Labour Party.

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