Police unions have said their members will not be available for the Ajax-Utrecht game later this month, as they continue their campaign for a new early retirement scheme.

The match, on September 15, is considered a “risk” event. The unions’ decision to avoid the Feyenoord Ajax game last week led to that match being postponed and it is up to Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema to decide if the Utrecht game should go ahead or not.

The police have been campaigning for a new early retirement package since the spring. The current agreement expires in 2025 and allows police officers to retire three years early. However, they often have to make up the shortfall in income from savings, and the force no longer makes pension contributions on their behalf.

“We are pressing ahead with our action,” spokesman Maarten Brink said on behalf of the four police unions.

The unions said earlier they will not intervene in a planned blockade of the A12 motorway in the centre of The Hague, which Extinction Rebellion plan to stage on September 14. They will be present to monitor safety.

Unions and employers can agree on an early retirement scheme for some types of work on a sector-by-sector basis. If workers stop up to three years ahead of the state pension age, their employers can claim a partial tax refund on early retirement payouts.

The current system dates from 2019 when the new pension system was finalised. But talks on extending it beyond this year collapsed in December 2023. The new government has hinted that it will make money available.

Port workers, the cleaning sector, public transport workers and engineering sector workers are all planning strikes in the coming weeks.