van het Kaar, Robbert

The issues at stake in the run-up to the General Election, the favourable economic growth and falling unemployment and the debates among the social partners and politicians on flexwork are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Netherlands in the fourth quarter of 2016.

The increase in wages, rise in self-employed workers, and new reports on the state of the labour market and works councils are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Netherlands in the third quarter of 2016.

Pensions and flexible work, more rights for works councils and the latest data on industrial action and collective agreements are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Netherlands in the second quarter of 2016.

On 4 February 2016, a parliamentary debate took place initiated by liberal parties VVD and D66 on issues regarding the collective bargaining system and the extension of agreements, which they believe distorts the labour market.

Refugees integration, the impact of new work and security legislation and pension funds are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Netherlands in the first quarter of 2016.

Legislation regarding worker participation in the Netherlands gives a boost to works councils rights in 2015.

Since the outbreak of the crisis, collective bargaining in the Netherlands has become more difficult, with bargaining rounds more protracted. Although there have been some breakthroughs in the current bargaining round, notably in the construction sector, a high incidence of conflict prevails in some sectors.

A new report by TNO Innovation for Life and Statistics Netherlands on the dynamics of the Dutch labour market shows that the flexibilisation of labour trend still continues.

A bill to ensure migrant workers are paid fairly, and to stop unfair competition between businesses, was passed unanimously by the Dutch Senate in June 2015. The bill is targeted at employers who pay migrant workers from other EU countries less than the minimum wage. This problem is common in horticulture, construction and transport.

There have been unexpected problems following the introduction of the new Act on Work and Security in the Netherlands. The act, which changes employment and dismissal law, came into force on 1 July and aims to create a new balance between ‘insiders’, permanent employees who have high levels of protection, and ‘outsiders’, flexible workers who have little or no protection.