Police stations in the Netherlands closed on June 11 for protest

Police stations in the Netherlands are closed today as part of a protest by Dutch law enforcement calling for a better early retirement scheme. Police are still available for emergency situations. 

Police demand better early retirement scheme in the Netherlands

Police in the Netherlands have already taken a number of measures to demand a better retirement scheme - including stopping punishing people for minor offences such as littering or not having proper bike lights. In the first week alone of that protest, Dutch law enforcement issued 6.000 fewer tickets compared to the same period one year ago. 

Anyone who turns up at a police station today will be greeted by a poster fixed to the door explaining the closure. “Citizens will have to come back later,” the police unions said. “Appointments scheduled for Tuesday, June 11, will be moved to another time.”

Police are unhappy about how the negotiations have gone so far

“There is still no prospect of a good early retirement scheme for the police,” police unions claimed last week when they announced the closure. The unions say that their previous actions have not had any impact on the negotiations so far, and therefore intend to use the station closures as an opportunity to escalate the matter. 

“Apparently, it takes a lot to convince employers and politicians that police work is hard work and that a decent early retirement scheme is, therefore, simply a sign of respect and appreciation,” the police union ANPV said last month. The union has made it clear in several statements that should their demands not be taken seriously, further action may soon follow.