No cops at Ajax-FC Utrecht match next week as early retirement protest continues

No cops will work at or around the Ajax vs. FC Utrecht match in the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam next weekend, the trade unions announced. The police are protesting for a decent early retirement scheme. Last weekend, the Feyenoord vs. Ajax match was canceled over the same police protest. Ajax fans said they were stunned by the news, while Prime Minister Dick Schoof said it was “a pity” that unions are avoiding the bargaining table to come to a deal on the issue.

Police officers will hold a union meeting some distance from the Johan Cruijff ArenA during the match on September 15. The trade unions united in Landelijk Actiecentrum Politieacties said it chose this match because “the pressure on this match and the number of police officers deployed is the greatest.”

It is not yet clear whether the match will continue. A spokesperson for Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema told RTL Nieuws that the city would decide after the weekend. Ajax against Utrecht is considered a risky match.

The police have been campaigning for a decent early retirement scheme for months, starting with not issuing fines in May and then escalating to closing police stations to the public, noise protests, and not deploying cops to Eredivisie matches. The Feyenoord vs. Ajax match was the first high-risk match during which the police protested. The current early retirement scheme (RVU) for people with physically taxing professions expires next year.

Ajax fans called the announcement an unpleasant surprise. “We were also surprised by the news this morning. First of all, we understand the goal, but not the means and the action,” said Fabian Nagtzaam, who heads up the association representing the club’s fans, Supportersvereniging Ajax.

“As far as we are concerned, the match can go ahead, but that is up to the municipality. I have heard that there are feverish discussions. We just want to enjoy a nice match with 55,000 people, but apparently that is not possible in this country. And that is something which upsets us.”

Recently, the Klassieker rivalry match between Feyenoord and Ajax was cancelled because safety could not be guaranteed due to police labor actions. Partly because of this, Ajax has only played two matches this season, while most clubs in the Eredivisie have played four.

“The match against FC Utrecht going ahead is of great importance for the normal course of the competition. Otherwise it will be mid-September and then we will have only played two games,” said Nagtzaam. Eredivisie matches will not be played this weekend due to the international football schedule.

Prior to his regular weekly Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Schoof said he thinks the unions are playing a strategic game by not discussing the early retirement scheme with employers and the Cabinet. He claimed Social Affairs Minister Eddy van Hijum has put a “serious proposal” on the table.

Schoof repeated his message that the Cabinet is eager to find a solution for people who find it difficult to retire while still healthy due to the difficulty of their job. “I assume that it will work out one day,” he said. “I think it’s a shame that the unions have decided to leave the table after all.”

A permanent early retirement scheme has been debated for some time. The Cabinet decided last week to join in the talks, but the unions indicated that they were not yet convinced after an initial discussion this week. “The gap between their proposal and our demands is too big,” an insider told RTL Nieuws.

They said they will continue with labor actions. The most conspicuous being the police strikes around football matches, and also next week’s planned strikes at various public transport operators.

There is currently a temporary early retirement scheme in place, but it will expire next year. For a permanent scheme, the government’s involvement is essential, because it concerns a tax exemption.