NETHERLANDS – The €45.5bn metal scheme PMT said it would raise its contribution by 2 percentage points to 32.3% of the pensionable salary.

For the part of the salary over €79,176, it is to charge a premium of 24.3%, it added.

At the same time, the metal scheme increased the franchise – the part of the salary that is exempt from pension accrual – by 1.74% to €15,904.

PMT's coverage ratio was 91.9% at the end of November.

However, the scheme indicated that new predictions for longevity would add another 1% to its liabilities.

It has already announced a rights cut of 7% on 1 April 2013, as its coverage ratio required a funding of 100% at the end of 2012.

PMT's new contribution is 18.1% of the overall salary, which is, according to scheme, cost-covering and also contributes to recovery.

Meanwhile, the €2.1bn occupational scheme for physiotherapists said it would grant its participants a 2% unconditional indexation, linked to its basic pension arrangements.

Self-employed and employed physios only accrue a pensions over a salary of up to €44,954 and €35,800, respectively.

The scheme raised its monthly premiums for its most basic pension plan from €267 to €283 and for its 'basic plus' arrangements from €470 to €497.

The Stichting Pensioenfonds voor Fysiotherapeuten had a funding of 99.9% at November-end, and its board stressed that it may be unable to grant unconditional indexation for 2014.

The scheme's coverage ratio must be at least 104.4% at the end of August 2014.

Elsewhere, the €1.3bn industry-wide pension fund for pharmacies staff (PMA) said it would keep the premiums for the pensionable salary at 33.3% for participants born before 1950 and at 28.5% for younger colleagues.

PMA had a funding of 109.1% at November-end.