Employers and unions walked out of talks with the government on planned cuts to the education budget on Friday afternoon, the Telegraaf reports.

The breaking point was the intention to keep teachers’ salaries at their present level for another year. Salaries have been frozen since 2009.

‘A fifth year of frozen salaries is unacceptable,’ said CNV union leader Helen Van den Berg. ‘We will only resume talks when the minister offers a decent plan with room for manoeuvre in teachers’ salaries,’ she said.

Government spending plans for education also include axing €300m from the special education budget and turning student grants into loans.

Stupid

Socialist party MP Jasper van Dijk told the Telegraaf the breakdown in the talks was unavoidable. ‘It is extremely stupid of the government to introduce new budget cuts when we should be investing in education,’ he said.

Education minister Jet Bussemaker and her junior minister Sander Dekker said they have an agreement in mind that will make ‘an important contribution to improving the quality of education and making teachers more professional’.