Employers' group wants mandatory disability cover for freelancers: report

Employers' organization AWVN wants to make it mandatory for freelancers, entrepreneurs and other self-employed to have occupational disability cover. The AWVN will present this plan at a conference on Monday, Trouw reports.

Compulsory disability insurance for self-employed and freelancers has long been a point of dispute between employers and trade unions. Trade unions warn of the risk that the growing group of self-employed in the Netherlands form, while employers argued that self-employed should be able to decide for themselves how they spend their income.

The AWVN is the first large employers' organization in the Netherlands to turn back on that stance, according to the newspaper. The AWVN wants all freelancers and entrepreneurs to contribute to collective insurance for occupational disability. Currently around 80 percent of self-employed are not insured against disability.