The Minister of Social Affairs in the Netherlands is to join forces with unions and employer organisations to tackle the problem of spiralling unemployment. The minister says the Dutch government will make €600 million available to help fund the project, provided the social partners match this figure. The social partners have been asked to submit realistic plans to get the worst-affected groups, such as young people, older employees and the disabled, working again.
The Dutch Minister of Social Affairs, Lodewijk Asscher, has joined social partners in a campaign to address rising unemployment and create new jobs. The plan is to develop the social agreement signed between the cabinet and the social partners in 2012 (NL1212019I).
Unemployment reached a record high in 2013. Youth unemployment is now around 16%. The overall unemployment figure of 8.2% is the highest since 1983, and Minister Asscher wants swift action to combat this.
In a proposal to the Dutch House of Representatives in June 2013, the minister pledged €600 million extra a year to be spent on tackling the issue in 2014 and 2015. Several members of the opposition parties in the House of Representatives were not convinced his plan would work. However, it was supported by the two parties which form the government coalition – the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the social democratic Dutch Labour Party (PvdA).
Employer associations and trade unions will also be expected to contribute €600 million. They have been asked to submit ‘demonstrably sound’ plans outlining how workers in certain regions and sectors, such as the steel industry, construction and care, can find and keep jobs. Young workers, older employees and people with disabilities must be given extra attention, according to the proposals. The minister did not specify any target figures for the campaign.
The plans put forward by the employer associations and trade unions will be submitted for financial assessment to a newly created crisis approach action team. The money is not to be used to subsidise company operations, and if it is 60% will be reclaimed.
The action team, apart from comprising representatives from unions and employer associations, also includes representatives from the municipalities and the Institute for Employee Insurance (UWV), which implements employee insurance schemes.
The minister emphasised that the co-financing from the social partners is crucial. He expects it to be made available from their training and development funds and hopes this will help minimise any misuse.
The social partners’ plans are expected to help:
There are also suggestions that older employees could help supervise younger, less-experienced ones. The minister has excluded any plans that mask early retirement or pre-pension schemes.
Marianne Grünell, University of Amsterdam