Lamers, Josee

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the ICT and telecommunications sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in the European sectoral social dialogue and their capacity to negotiate agreements. The aim of Eurofound’s representativeness studies is to identify the relevant national and European social partner organisations in the EU Member States.

Rabobank Nederland (RN) is part of Rabobank Group, which provides financial services and insurance. It is the largest financial services provider in the Netherlands. The innovation described in this case study is an integral new concept of work called ‘Rabo Unplugged’. The new work style unites the organisation’s customer focus with the employees’ entrepreneurship. It enables the organisation to better respond to all needs of customers, while at the same time giving more freedom and responsibility to the employees to prevent them ‘becoming robots’, as one employee interviewed for this case study put it.

Job security based on "investment contracts" is a key bargaining issue for the Industriebond 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.

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.

A special "holiday jobs line" set up by the young workers' secretariat of the Dutch Federation of Trade 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.