# Metal sector early retirement scheme extended through 2027

> Metal and engineering employees who meet the conditions can still stop work up to three years before state pension age next year, after unions and employers agreed a one-year extension.

Economy · published 2026-11-04 05:32 · https://nlnow.nl/a/metal-sector-early-retirement-scheme-extended-through-2027/

The social partners in the metal and engineering sector (Metaal en Techniek) have extended the current early retirement scheme, the RVU, by one year, the union FNV says. It will run from 1 January to 31 December 2027.

Employees who meet the conditions can stop working up to three years before their AOW (state pension) age. The current rules of the Stichting RVU Metaal en Techniek, the foundation behind the scheme, continue to apply in 2027.

Applications for 2027 must reach the foundation no later than 1 October 2027.

The extension gives the social partners more time to agree a new scheme. It must meet the RVU accord (RVU-akkoord) and be aimed mainly at employees in heavy work who cannot stay healthy at work until state pension age.

## Background

- **RVU (Regeling Vervroegd Uittreden)**: The RVU is an early retirement scheme (Regeling Vervroegd Uittreden) that is set up through collective agreements between employers and unions in a particular sector. Under it, eligible employees can stop working before they reach the AOW age, with the scheme bridging the years until the state pension starts. In the metal and engineering sector the scheme is run by a dedicated foundation, and its rules are agreed by the social partners for each period.
- **AOW (Algemene Ouderdomswet)**: The AOW is the general old-age pension law, and the name is also used for the basic state pension it provides. It is paid to people who have lived or worked in the Netherlands, and it is the pension that most people here receive from the state from the AOW age onward. The AOW age is set by law and is the reference point for many workplace and early retirement schemes.

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