NETHERLANDS - Dutch labour union federation FNV has said it plans to focus on sharing the risk between workers and companies when they re-join negotiations over the elaboration of last year's Pension Agreement.

The federation - following a three-week suspension of talks with employers for consultation with its rank-and-file - said it would also insist on maintaining the employers' obligation to fill in funding gaps at their pension funds, according to Agnes Jongerius, the FNV's chairwoman.

The negotiations with the employers were suspended after the largest affiliated organisation - the market sector union FNV Bondgenoten - objected to "a transfer of all risks to workers" and called for a re-think.

Meanwhile, the FNV will continue internal discussions about the alternatives for a new pension system that have been raised during the recent pause in the negotiations, Jongerius said.

The federation will put linking the benefits of the state pension AOW to the salary index on top of its list in the talks with social affairs minister Henk Kamp, the FNV chair added.

Kamp has already announced that he is planning to submit a bill to raise the official retirement age by one year to 66 in 2020.

His proposal will not only apply to the state pension AOW, but also to second-pillar pensions.

Kamp also said his bill would include limiting the tax-deductibility of pension contributions as of 2013.

Elsewhere, Jaap Smit, chairman of the unions federation CNV, also underlined that employers must keep paying their share of the contributions in a new pension system.

A large majority of the CNV board - as well as its main union, CNV Vakmensen, is supporting a continuation of the negotiations with employers, Smit said.

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