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Shell Faces Strike Over Pension Scheme
Expatica News
The
Netherlands
October 27, 2005
Dutch unions CNV and FNV have given Shell a Monday strike deadline over plans by the oil giant to change the company's pension
scheme.
The strike threat comes after Shell and its subsidiary NAM called for all employees to contribute to the company pension scheme and to postpone retirement until the age of 65, according to Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad.
Any strike is likely to shut down the Pernis refinery in Rotterdam.CNV spokesman Evert Jan van de Mheen said. Shell wants all employees to help pay for their retirement for the first time ever.
Until now Shell paid the 'pensionpremie' of employees with a yearly income less than EUR 60,000. Shell proposes a worker contribution of 2 percent, according to the
NRC.
FNV trade union spokesman Egbert Schellenberg said the transitional agreement means employees aged 45-50 will have to work a year and a half longer. "Shell's pension fund is healthy. I don't see any reason to make cut-backs which the employees will have to bear," Van de Mheen
said.
Shell confirmed its fund is healthy but that changes have to be made for it to remain in good shape. The oil giant expects a number of employees will leave or retire in the future and that fewer younger employees will work for the multinational. Shell would not say if it planned to meet the trade unions'
demands.
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