National civil servants are to take industrial action in support of their 2% pay claim, the Abvakabo union said on Friday.

The unions had given home affairs minister Piet Hein Donner an ultimatum to come up with an offer. The minister wants to freeze civil service pay for two years.
It is not yet clear what sort of action the unions are planning, but there will be a mass demonstration against government cuts in The Hague next Thursday.
The unions also want Donner to guarantee no civil servants will lose their jobs against their will.