According to a report published by the social partners united under the Labour Foundation (Stichting van de Arbeid, SvdA [1]), employees declared partially (one third) unfit for work are not receiving the level of job-finding support promised by employers. This affects some 19,000 employees
At the beginning of 2006, the management board of Europe Container Terminals ( ECT [1]), a container transshipment company based at the Port of Rotterdam, and the Allied Unions (FNV Bondgenoten [2]) reached a collective agreement in principle for ECT’s 2,000 employees. At first, the trade union
In December 2006, employer and employee representatives and members appointed by the crown, meeting in the Social and Economic Council (Sociaal-Economische Raad, SER [1]), concluded that they were unable to reach agreement on proposed changes to dismissal legislation. During 2006, the SER had issued
The problem of unequal pay for men and women is particularly persistent in the Netherlands. Over the years, the Labour Inspectorate (Arbeidsinspectie [1]) has conducted research into this matter, repeatedly showing that women earn around 20% less than men on average. Approximately 7% of this figure
At the end of 2006, the three main employer organisations indicated in a memorandum addressed to the collective bargaining partners that they wished to abolish the system whereby older employees automatically earn more than their younger counterparts. The three employer groups concerned are: the
Early parliamentary elections held in the House of Representatives on 22 November 2006 in the Netherlands have significantly changed the political balance. Of the majority parties, the Christian Democratic Appeal (Christen Democratisch Appèl, CDA [1]) lost three seats but remained the largest party
In the autumn of 2006, the Chair of the Social and Economic Council (Sociaal-Economische Raad, SER [1]), Alexander Rinnooy Kan, confirmed his support for anonymous job applications, in an effort to further diversify the workforce. In this way, the chair of the most significant socioeconomic
The Christian Democratic Alliance (Christen Democratisch Appel, CDA [1]) proposes in its election manifesto the relaxation of dismissals legislation. The current Dutch law is based on a dual system, in which an employer can choose one of two procedures for terminating an employment contract (
In the metalworking sector, both the Dutch Trade Union Federation (Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging, FNV [1]) and the Christian Trade Union Federation (Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond, CNV [2]) are seeking to exclude their fellow negotiator, the general trade union De Unie [3], from collective
In October 2006, the Dutch Trade Union Federation (Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging, FNV [1]) launched its own proposal for childcare facilities for children. Among the key points of the plan is the proposal that day care should be available for all children below the age of 13 years, irrespective