Netherlands
Background information on industrial relations in Netherlands
- 28 Dec 1997
Netherlands: Flexible remuneration and financial participation by employees: state of play in the Netherlands<#PDF_LINK>Both the use of flexible remuneration systems and financial participation through share option schemes have increased markedly in the Netherlands in the 1990s. Generally, employers applaud this development but within the trade unions there are mixed feelings.
- 28 Dec 1997
Netherlands: Labour relations in public transport under pressure from market forces<#PDF_LINK>European and domestic legislation is leading to greater pressure for competition in Dutch public transport. The resulting measures have led during the 1990s to practically permanent disputes between trade unions and works councils on the one hand, and employers and the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management on the other. October and November 1997 saw further industrial action in this area.
- 28 Dec 1997
Netherlands: Trade unions demand standards for manual lifting<#PDF_LINK>Recent research in the Netherlands shows that setting a legal standard for the manual lifting of loads would lead to considerable improvements in working conditions for a large group of employees. However, employers' organisations and unions are divided on this subject.
- 28 Dec 1997
Netherlands: Legal right to work part-time rejected in Dutch Parliament<#PDF_LINK>At the end of 1997, the First Chamber of the Dutch Parliament rejected a proposal to give employees the legal right to work part time. Employers opposed the bill, while the trade unions were divided on the subject.
- 28 Dec 1997
Netherlands: Workers on long-term unemployed projects in Amsterdam protest at low pay<#PDF_LINK>In December 1997, employees recruited on projects for the long-term unemployed went on strike in Amsterdam on the grounds that they were owed shift bonuses by the municipality. An agreement in principle was later reached on their payment for irregular work.
- 28 Dec 1997
Netherlands: 1997 Annual Review for The Netherlands<#PDF_LINK>This record reviews 1997's main developments in industrial relations in The Netherlands.
- 28 Nov 1997
Netherlands: Temporary work in the Netherlands: from flexible to permanent employment?<#PDF_LINK>A remarkable number of people work for temporary employment agencies in the Netherlands. As a result of new legislation, approved by Parliament's Lower House in November 1997, the legal status of these workers will improve in proportion to the length of time they work for a particular agency. However, employers in the temporary work sector and trade unions have fundamentally different points of view on the conditions of employment that should apply.
- 28 Nov 1997
Netherlands: Large-scale merger leads to formation of Dutch super union<#PDF_LINK>Four large Dutch trade unions, which already cooperate in the FNV confederation, have recently decided to merge. The merger is to be finalised in January 1998, resulting in a union with almost half a million members. For the first time, those receiving social benefits and older people will be incorporated into the organisation as a distinct industrial group. This merger has also prompted more intensive cooperation between other Dutch unions.
- 28 Nov 1997
Netherlands: Mixed fortunes in Dutch dock labour scheme disputes<#PDF_LINK>In November 1997, prolonged negotiations finally led to a solution for the employees of the bankrupt "labour pool" in the Amsterdam dockyard. Meanwhile, in Rotterdam, labour pool members are threatening to take new industrial action if no solution is found.
- 28 Nov 1997
Netherlands: Closure of plants in the Netherlands: job losses on the horizon<#PDF_LINK>In November 1997, within two weeks of one another, two companies in the Netherlands have announced that they intend to move part of their production abroad. A third company wants to close down completely.
- 28 Nov 1997
Netherlands: Dutch social partners agree agenda for collective bargaining<#PDF_LINK>National employers' and employees' organisations in the Netherlands established guidelines in November 1997 for future collective bargaining. The most important items on the bargaining table are the introduction of flexible payment schemes and agreements regarding training and leave.
- 28 Oct 1997
Netherlands: Latest pay claims: a threat to the Dutch concertation economy?<#PDF_LINK>The almost unprecedented growth in jobs in the Netherlands, along with low unemployment figures, have aroused the attention of other countries. In the success story - dubbed "the Polder Model" - the leading roles are played by the social partners and the outcome is seen as an "employment miracle". This article discusses the extent to which this success is also shared by actors outside the spotlight. It also examines the chances for continued employment growth, since in late 1997 employees are threatening to depart from the script.
- 28 Oct 1997
Netherlands: Does privatisation improve sickness absence policy within companies?<#PDF_LINK>Although the transfer of responsibility for sickness policy to the individual employer under the terms of the Sickness Benefits Act (ZW) led to a reduction in sickness absence in the Netherlands in 1995 and 1996, it has not improved sickness absence policy within companies. According to an August 1997 report from the FNV union confederation, works councils could potentially make a substantial contribution to improving the situation, though at present their role is quite minor. A more significant role would be possible if the Government were to take decisive action to limit some of the unintended results of privatisation which are often harmful to employees.
- 28 Oct 1997
Netherlands: Impending dispute on Dutch Railways<#PDF_LINK>In autumn 1997, trade unions and works councils are opposing plans for regional cooperation between Dutch Railways and regional transport companies, as they fear job losses and less employment security.
- 28 Oct 1997
Netherlands: Strikes at the Port of Amsterdam following job pool bankruptcy<#PDF_LINK>Amsterdam and Rotterdam dock workers took industrial action in October 1997 to place pressure on harbour companies to revive a bankrupt "job pool".
- 28 Oct 1997
Netherlands: Chinese company fined for its dangerous working conditions<#PDF_LINK>The police court for economic offences recently fined the Chinese company, First Metalurgical Construction Corporation (FMCC), for violating the Working Conditions Act. During the demolition of two blast furnaces, FMCC employees worked at great heights under conditions that did not adequately comply with the applicable safety regulations. As a consequence, one employee died in an accident in April 1997.
- 28 Oct 1997
Netherlands: Philips' future scenario: the end of job security<#PDF_LINK>The Philips electrical group intends to promote the mobility and employability of its 40,000 employees. However, recent plans to adapt its employment contracts leaked out prematurely in October 1997.
- 28 Oct 1997
Netherlands: Union seeks investment contracts to promote job security<#PDF_LINK>Job security based on "investment contracts" is a key bargaining issue for theIndustriebond FNV, the industrial union affiliated to the Dutch Federation of Trade Unions. The union recently published a document containing 18 proposals for use by negotiators to promote investment contracts and hence job security.
- 28 Sep 1997
Netherlands: Amendment of the Dutch Works Councils Act: a few surprises<#PDF_LINK>On 5 September 1997, the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament completed its debates on a bill to amend the Works Councils Act. Not counting various periodical adjustments, this is the seventh revision since the original 1950 Act. It has been repeatedly stressed by both the Cabinet and the members of the Lower House that the bill does not introduce fundamental changes. However, fierce debates have been waged with regard to the issue of worker participation, and how far this can be taken.
- 28 Sep 1997
Netherlands: Disproportionate number of older employees made redundant by Dutch companies<#PDF_LINK>Although the Dutch Government and the social partners are keen to promote the participation of older employees on the labour market, it is reported that companies currently make disproportionately more older employees redundant. Following the Government's withdrawal of its "Directive concerning Older Employees" in 1994, businesses are not allowed to dismiss disproportionately more older workers on economic grounds. However, the social partners were never in favour of the withdrawal of this Directive. Employers still argue that they require a high-quality workforce which is able to cope with new developments. In the view of individual employees and their representatives, dismissal of older workers, which results in an unemployment benefit and (very often) a redundancy payment, represents an accepted and well deserved form of early retirement.
- 28 Sep 1997
Netherlands: Regional transport reshuffle may cost 2,500 jobs<#PDF_LINK>The Dutch Government's policy to increase competition in the public transport sector has resulted in a far-reaching process of reorganisation, including the announcement in September 1997 of 2,500 job losses at the VSN regional transport company.
- 28 Sep 1997
Netherlands: Reorganisation at KBB: 3,000 jobs hang in the balance<#PDF_LINK>The Dutch retail trade company KBB and the unions have reached agreement on a redundancy programme, following the announcement in August 1997 of 3,000 job losses. Shareholders also want more influence over management of the company.
- 28 Sep 1997
Netherlands: Controversy over right to tap employees' conversations in Dutch companies<#PDF_LINK>The media regularly report on cases where employees' telephone conversations have been tapped by Dutch companies. The Code of Conduct drawn up by the Registration Chamber, which is intended to guarantee the privacy of employees, does not always operate effectively in practice. Judges still remain free to decide what evidence is admissible in such cases. Negative publicity might yet prove to be a much more effective countermeasure.
- 28 Sep 1997
Netherlands: Holiday job working conditions largely unsafe<#PDF_LINK>An investigation conducted in the summer of 1997 by the Labour Inspectorate in the Netherlands has revealed that the conditions under which young temporary and holiday workers are employed leave much to be desired.
- 28 Sep 1997
Netherlands: Amsterdam's dock workers organise protest actions<#PDF_LINK>In September 1997, Amsterdam's dock workers employed by the Association of Dock Industries organised protests after the Randstad temporary employment agency decided not to become involved in an SHB financial rescue plan when its bankruptcy appeared imminent. Some 150 employees are likely to be made redundant.
- 28 Aug 1997
Netherlands: Debate centres on new policies for older employees<#PDF_LINK>The central Dutch employers' organisations and trade unions, represented on theLabour Foundation, will soon publish recommendations to promote the participation of older employees in the labour market. In addition, the Dutch Government has reached an agreement on a bill that prohibits companies from discriminating according to age in recruitment and selection procedures. Both developments should be viewed against the background of the aim of the Government and the social partners to check the flow of older employees from the labour force.
- 28 Aug 1997
Netherlands: Changes to employers' responsibility for sickness compensation<#PDF_LINK>In the Netherlands, far-reaching changes affecting the allocation of responsibilities for protecting the income of sick employees came to a head recently. These changes form part of a broader shift in social policy and in the relationship between government and the social partners concerning social security. The much-contested reform of the Sickness Benefits Act, which came into force in 1996, now makes employers generally responsible for continued payment of wages for one year of sickness.
- 28 Aug 1997
Netherlands: Working time disputes in Dutch banking<#PDF_LINK>Banks in the Netherlands are allowed to exempt certain groups of employees from a reduction in working hours, according to a court ruling issued in August 1997. However, creating a separate legal entity specifically for the purpose of offering those employees less favourable terms of employment is not allowed.
- 28 Aug 1997
Netherlands: Dutch unions to end policy of wage restraint?<#PDF_LINK>Within Dutch trade unions, a growing number of voices are calling for higher wage increases in 1998 and subsequent bargaining rounds. However, this probably does not signify a full break with the 15-year old policy of moderate increases in labour costs.
- 28 Aug 1997
Netherlands: Inadequate compliance with collective agreements<#PDF_LINK>A recent study from the FNV union confederation has shown that Dutch employers, and especially small and medium-sized enterprises, often do not fully comply with the terms of collective agreements. The most common violations concern working hours, overtime and holidays.
- 28 Jul 1997
Netherlands: Recommendations on workplace-level union structure<#PDF_LINK>In the Netherlands, trade unions were originally poorly represented at workplace level, where works councils have traditionally been viewed as the appropriate forum for representing employees' interests. Although works councils and trade unions are cooperating to an increasing degree, this has not progressed without tension. For a long time, workplace-level union structure has been (and still is) a rather touchy issue. To address this, in April 1997 the bipartite Labour Foundation published several new recommendations concerning union structure at workplace level.
- 28 Jul 1997
Netherlands: Investment contracts: job security and education<#PDF_LINK>Social partners at national level in the Netherlands have recently recommended investment in the quality of the workforce. Alongside the reduction of working time, the new spearhead for improving terms and conditions of employment focuses on the education of workers. For the Industrial Union affiliated to theDutch Trade Union Federation(Industriebond FNV), contracts with employers on investment in employment and the education of workers will be a major item on the collective bargaining agenda in the future. The potential significance of this is clearly illustrated in the agreement concluded in June 1997 atHeineken.
- 28 Jul 1997
Netherlands: Mobility centre at Stork aims to improve flexibility<#PDF_LINK>Stork, the Dutch engineering company, aims to create a more flexible and multiskilled workforce by establishing a new "mobility centre" -Mobile 2000. This centre will work together with temporary employment agencies.
- 28 Jul 1997
Netherlands: Complaints about holiday jobs<#PDF_LINK>A special "holiday jobs line" set up by the young workers' secretariat of the Dutch Federation ofTrade Unions receives complaints every day about violations of the recently amended law protecting young workers. In 1997, the Labour Inspectorate is conducting an extensive nation-wide campaign concerning holiday jobs.
- 28 Jul 1997
Netherlands: Chinese company may continue demolition work<#PDF_LINK>The Chinese companyCMICmay continue its controversial demolition of two blast furnaces on the premises of the Dutch steel concernHoogovens, after theCentral Office of the Employment Servicedecided in July 1997 against suspending its work permit.
- 28 Jun 1997
Netherlands: Flexicurity: new bills on flexibility and security at work<#PDF_LINK>The Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament is considering two bills that aspire to create a new balance between flexibility and stability on the labour market. The bills, submitted in March 1997, are based on a historic agreement involving a unanimous recommendation by the social partners on the future of labour relations and a significant reassessment of Dutch labour law. This seems to have ensured their public support.
- 28 Jun 1997
Netherlands: European and national works councils in the Netherlands<#PDF_LINK>On 5 February 1997, the Dutch European Works Councils Act (Wet op de Europese Ondernemingsraden) came into force, thereby extending Dutch co-determination to include a transnational dimension. This law transposed into Dutch law the EU Directive on European Works Councils (EWCs), which aims to increase the right of consultation and information of employees in "Community-scale" companies. It requires every Community-scale company to establish an EWC or an alternative procedure to inform and consult its employees on the company's transnational activities. Although the term "European Works Council" suggests that it corresponds to the Dutch system of works councils, the EWC should not be seen as the apex of the Dutch co-determination structure.
- 28 Jun 1997
Netherlands: Union demands halt to demolition work until working conditions improve<#PDF_LINK>In May 1997, the Dutch trade union Industriebond FNV demanded a halt to demolition work by a Chinese company on two blast furnaces in the Netherlands, in a case which has highlighted concerns about working and employment conditions in complex transnational assembly and demolition operations.
- 28 Jun 1997
Netherlands: Complaints about discrimination and inappropriate treatment during job applications<#PDF_LINK>Recent studies published in the Netherlands show that discrimination on grounds of age and other factors occurs frequently in job recruitment and selection, while inappropriate treatment of applicants is also common.
- 28 May 1997
Netherlands: The Port of Rotterdam: a long tradition of industrial conflict continues<#PDF_LINK>Strikes in the Port of Rotterdam in the early months of 1997 demonstrate once again its distinctive position in the Dutch system of industrial relations. The ongoing process of reorganisation in the mixed-cargo sector, which has a long tradition of trade unionism, is responsible for regular labour disputes in the form of court action and both organised and wildcat strikes .
- 28 May 1997
Netherlands: Exemptions from the statutory national minimum wage dropped<#PDF_LINK>A bill that would have allowed employers exemption from the statutory national minimum wage in the Netherlands was withdrawn for political reasons in May 1997. Although both trade unions and employers' organisations had been critical of the proposed regulation, the employers' organisations were nonetheless disappointed.
- 28 May 1997
Netherlands: Share option scheme considered at KLM<#PDF_LINK>In anticipation of the spring 1997 collective bargaining round, pilots atRoyal Dutch Airlines(KLM) are considering contributing to the company's cost-cutting programme by exchanging salaries for share options and an increased say in company policy. Unions are divided over this exchange.
- 28 May 1997
Netherlands: New Career Breaks Bill promotes care and study leave<#PDF_LINK>Under the terms of a new bill, announced in April 1997, employees in the Netherlands will be entitled to benefits if they interrupt their careers for care or study leave, on condition that the employer hires an unemployed person for the same period
- 28 Apr 1997
Netherlands: Controversy surrounds social security financing<#PDF_LINK>In the Netherlands, there has been a long struggle over how responsibilities for administering social security should be divided between social partners and the government. The Dutch social security administration has been reorganised - most recently from March 1997 - under pressure of criticism about organisations in which the social partners play a dominant role. Financing the social security system has become a structural problem in the relations between the Government and the social partners. This has become especially manifest in conflicts concerning the level at which social security contributions should be set.
- 28 Apr 1997
Netherlands: Controversial agreement in information technology sector<#PDF_LINK>The principal collective agreement in the Dutch information technology and office equipment sector, concluded in April 1997 between the employers' organisation and one of the trade unions, has been criticised by the other unions and four large software and service companies
- 28 Apr 1997
Netherlands: Agreement between AKZO-Nobel and the unions<#PDF_LINK>Working time reductions at AKZO-Nobel, the Dutch chemicals group, have been safeguarded, but the standard 36-hour week has been dropped on the basis of a new agreement between AKZO-Nobel and the unions, signed in April 1997. Consequently, the feared start of a wave of pay rises in the Netherlands has been prevented.
- 28 Mar 1997
Netherlands: Determining terms of employment: works council or union?<#PDF_LINK>A current bill amending the 1971 Works Councils Act has focused attention on the increasingly important role played by Dutch works councils in the negotiation of terms of employment. However, although the function of the trade unions is being somewhat eroded, even in the area of determining primary terms of employment, the traditional division of roles between unions and works councils has remained fundamentally intact.
- 28 Mar 1997
Netherlands: Building industry agreement increases pay and flexibility<#PDF_LINK>In the new collective agreement in the Dutch building industry, signed in March 1997, a relatively large pay increase has been matched by a degree of increased flexibility regarding the use of temporary employment agency workers and the rules governing working hours.
- 28 Mar 1997
Netherlands: Akzo Nobel abandons a standard 36-hour week<#PDF_LINK>Akzo Nobel has announced that it will not observe its 1995 collective agreement and that it will abandon the introduction of a standard 36-hour week as of 1 July 1997. Its new proposals have divided the unions.
- 28 Feb 1997
Netherlands: Proposal to exempt long-term unemployed people from legal minimum wage<#PDF_LINK>A bill that allows Dutch employers exemptions from the legal minimum wage aims to improve the chances of long-term unemployed people obtaining a full-time job. Although the bill will probably have only a minor quantitative impact on the level of unemployment, it has provoked a new debate on the legal minimum wage
- 28 Feb 1997
Netherlands: Legal barriers to European-level collective bargaining<#PDF_LINK>Judging from a recent exchange of letters between a Dutch trade unions and the Department of Justice, it would appear that cross-border cooperation between unions, let alone their international merger, is beset with legal difficulties.
- 28 Feb 1997
Netherlands: Positive experience with working time flexibility at Akzo Nobel<#PDF_LINK>In accordance with its 1995 collective agreement, Akzo Nobel has evaluated the effects of "working time differentiation" and more flexible working hours on employment. Since the effects appear positive, a 36-hour week is expected to be introduced by 1 July 1997.