The imbalance between rich and poor has increased in the Netherlands

The imbalance between rich and poor has increased in the past year, FNV vice-chairman Zakaria Boufangacha said in response to the Central Planning Bureau's (CPB) estimate of the economy published on Friday.

The CPB reported in the estimate that a smaller share of the Netherlands' earnings last year ended up with employees and self-employed people. In other words, less money for labor and more for capital, according to FNV. "That means there is enough financial room for higher wages," Boufangacha adds.

The CPB also reported that the budget deficit threatens to increase to 2.6 percent next year. According to Boufangacha, these kinds of figures reinforce the call for cutbacks. "Yet the new Cabinet plans to implement billions in tax cuts for the wealthy and companies. If we have to cut back, then there is no room for gifts for the richest Dutch people, is there? Let the cabinet make good on its election promise and really opt for security of existence."

The estimate also states that purchasing power will grow by 2.5 percent this year and by 1.1 percent next year. For the average household, purchasing power will be above the level of 2021 in 2025, when the inflation wave began, according to the CPB. "Thanks to our battle at the collective labor agreement table and in the country for higher wages, we have almost completely caught up with inflation, which has restored purchasing power," says Boufangacha. However, according to him, many Dutch people are still unable or barely able to make ends meet.