The two big Dutch employers organisations said on Friday that they are not yet ready to agree a deal with the government and unions on expanding jobless benefit from two to three years.

Social affairs minister Lodewijk Asscher gave the green light for the deal on Thursday and it had appeared as if the deal had been finalised.

However, the VNO-NCW and small firms association MKB-Nederland both said on Friday they needed more time to win approval for the agreement.

‘It is extremely complex which is why we want to talk it through properly with our members,’ the organisations said in a joint statement. ‘We expect the unions to understand our position as we have taken theirs into account.’

The outgoing government agreed when it came into power in 2012 to reduce unemployment benefit from three to a maximum of two years. However it left the window open for change, if unions and employers agreed. They reached agreement in principle on a new scheme in 2013.

Although the longer period applies to all workers in principle, only older people are likely to qualify because the length of time people can claim ww depends on how long they have been working.