Dutch pensions federation wants auto-enrolment for self-employed
The new pensions law proposed by the Dutch government provides insufficient room for pension funds to cater for self-employed workers, the Dutch branch organisation of pension funds, Pensioenfederatie, has warned. It has called for a “significant change” to the draft legislation, including the option of auto-enrolment.
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Several large sector funds have voiced their interest to start trials offering pensions to self-employed workers under the new pension law which will pave the way for a switch to a defined contribution (DC) pension system.
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The concept law that was presented last December allows for limited trials to grant self-employed workers access to second-pillar pensions. However, the proposed legislation lacks detail and contains a provision saying any pilot trials will have a maximum duration of four years. “A missed opportunity,” according to the Pensioenfederatie.
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The lack of detail is forcing pension funds that want to start their self-employed trials to wait even though they are ready to give it a go, said José Meijer, director of the Pensioenfederatie. He is therefore calling on Social Affairs minister Wouter Koolmees to speed up the legislative process.
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