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| Solidarity March with the Strike of the Metal Trade Unions, Oss Netherlands 1977 (foto: petrus nelissen) |
In
April this year, a course on the trade union movement ended with an
introduction by Paul de Beer, professor of industrial relations at
the University of Amsterdam. He searched for an answer to the
question whether the trade union movement still has a future. De Beer
advised the trade unions above all to make choices. "Do
everything will be fatal at the long run. Do we choose for a trade
union with a broad social orientation, or for targeted interests?
Past experience shows, according to De Beer, that significant results
can be achieved with small steps. Kees van Kortenhof reports in the
digital newsletter "The memory of the labor movement", a publication of the "Foundation Friends of the History of
Trade Unions".
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| Solidarity March with Strike of Metal Trade Unions, Oss Netherland 1977 (foto: petrus nelissen) |
Successes
De
Beer looked back on the successes of the labor movement over the last
hundred and ten years in the Netherlands. The real wage per labor
year has risen sharply while the working hours have decreased. Now an
employee earns per hour ten times as much as 100 years ago. If we
take the ratio between capital and labor studies of that period, we
must conclude, however, that "the French economist Thomas
Piketty with his book Capital is right and that the capitalists are
on the winning hand.” Job security is higher than in the 19th
century but also in the last century there have been crises like also
these days, which have led to high unemployment.
Challenges
De
Beer also painted the challenges for the trade union movement of
today. Trade union membership is decreasing. In 1980, still one of
the three employees were members of a union, currently only 1 out of
6. The share of older people in the movement is large and the degree
of organization among 25 year olds and younger is low about 7%. This
weakens the legitimacy of actions and statements of the trade union
movement. He blamed for this the defensive attitude of the trade
unions. Comparing the trade union situation today with that from the
sixties and seventies in the passed century: "the
political-economic agenda is no longer determined by the trade unions
but rather by politics and employers ".
The
trade union movement must cease to do everything. That is eventually
fatal. It should also be clear which groups will be the target of the
trade union movement. Are that only members or all wage earners, or
all workers/employees including the self-employed or perhaps also all
(indirect) wage earners including beneficiaries and pensioners?
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| Solidarity March with Strike of the Metal Trade Unions, Oss Netherlands 1977 (foto: petrus nelissen) |
Does
the trade union reach 2040?
A
concluding forum dealt with two questions: does one need to know
about the history of the trade union movement? and will the trade
union movement still exist in the year 2040? Paul de Beer warned for
looking too much backwards because "knowledge of history can
also lead to conservatism and adherence to old models." Piet
Hazenbosch (management consultant of the Christian trade union
confederation CNV and researcher of the history of the CNV), however,
believed that when one wants to understand what is going on, you need
to know where you come from. According Hazenbosch this time differs
fundamentally from the time when the labor movement was born and he
warns that the trade union movement is now not adequately related to
contemporary social development. He pleads for a return to the
'ideological sources "where we answer the question: Why are we
here?". On this matter the Christian trade unionist Hazenbosch
and the left-socialist Van der Velden agreed with each other. Van
der Velden also laments the loss of ideological depth and vision of
the trade union movement on society: " Maybe CNV may have lost
less its ideological feathers.” However, as a specialist in the
field of Dutch labor relations, he is indifferent to whether the
trade union movement in 2040 still will exist: "The trade union
is an instrument for achieving certain goals. That's the main point.
"
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| ETUC Protest March, Brussels Belgium 2013 (foto:petrus nelissen) |
Union
Sundown
Leontine
Bijleveld, independent researcher and consultant on women's rights
and labor relations and historian, considers knowledge of history
essential but in a broad way and as an inspiration for the present.
She agrees with her colleagues of the CNV that the trade union
movement in 2014 is different from that of the past, but there will
always be social movements that make the world a little bit better.
Harry Peer, expert on participation and works councils, points to the
responsibility of trade unions when it comes to history "because
the fundamental training courses are all gone. There is little
attention to the reasons of existence of trade unions and what
motivates trade unionists. "He fears the American way, where
employers with all means keep the unions out. "We talk a lot
about the Rhineland model but now the US model is coming to us."
Lodewijk de Waal, former chairman of the trade union confederation
FNV and now chairman of VHV, closed the meeting wondering about his
own optimism. He has grown up with Bob Dylan's song "Times They
are Changing." But the same Dylan in the eighties sings about
the Union Sundown. Who reads the text of that song can not but
conclude that there is still enough work to do for the trade union
movement.
Kees van Kortenhof
April 2015
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| Solidarity March with strike of the Metal Trade Unions, Oss Netherlands 1977 |
An overview of the trade union movement in the
Netherlands 2014.
Again
fewer union members, but for a long time more young members
The
number of members decreases again in 2014, but more young people have
become member of the trade union. The number of female trade union
members increases after an occasional dip last year. The number of
older members falls.
End
of March 2014 the unions had more than 1.7 million members, 30
thousand less than the year before. In all confederations, as well as
in non-affiliated trade unions, membership declines. The
confederation FN is the largest confederation with more than 1.1
million members.
Growth
of young trade union members
The
number of young people (under 25) who are members of a trade union,
has almost halved compared to the last century. In 1999 the number of
young members amounted to 117 thousand, in 2013 that figure was 61
thousand. The decline in the number of young people seems to have
ended. Already in recent years the number of younger members
decreased barely, in 2014 for the first time there was an increase of
six thousand young members . From all trade union members now 3.8
per cent is less than 25 years old. One
out of six trade union members is 65 years or older
The
number of trade union members in the age between 25 to 65 years
declined. The group of members between 45-65 years old still remains
the largest group with 906 thousand members. However, this is 19
thousand less than last year. A part canceled their membership,
another part remained member, but now belongs to the group of retired
trade union members (65 years and older). The number of members that
after retirement remained a member of the trade union increased in
2014. The proportion of over-65s stood at 17 percent, which means
that out of six trade union members is 65 years or older. Pensioners
can often continue to use the services of a trade union for a lower
contribution rate.
More
women join the trade union
After
a decline in 2013, in 2014 slightly more women became a member of a
trade union. Their number amounted to 630 thousand.
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| Bob Dylan, The Times They Are A-Changing, 1964 |
The lyrics of Bob Dylan's song "Union Sundown"
Well, my shoes, they come from Singapore
My flashlight’s from Taiwan
My tablecloth’s from Malaysia
My belt buckle’s from the Amazon
You know, this shirt I wear comes from the Philippines
And the car I drive is a Chevrolet
It was put together down in Argentina
By a guy makin’ thirty cents a day
Well, it’s sundown on the union
And what’s made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
’Til greed got in the way
Well, this silk dress is from Hong Kong
And the pearls are from Japan
Well, the dog collar’s from India
And the flower pot’s from Pakistan
All the furniture, it says “Made in Brazil”
Where a woman, she slaved for sure
Bringin’ home thirty cents a day to a family of twelve
You know, that’s a lot of money to her
Well, it’s sundown on the union
And what’s made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
’Til greed got in the way
Well, you know, lots of people complainin’ that there is no work
I say, “Why you say that for
When nothin’ you got is U.S.–made?”
They don’t make nothin’ here no more
You know, capitalism is above the law
It say, “It don’t count ’less it sells”
When it costs too much to build it at home
You just build it cheaper someplace else
Well, it’s sundown on the union
And what’s made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
’Til greed got in the way
Well, the job that you used to have
They gave it to somebody down in El Salvador
The unions are big business, friend
And they’re goin’ out like a dinosaur
They used to grow food in Kansas
Now they want to grow it on the moon and eat it raw
I can see the day coming when even your home garden
Is gonna be against the law
Well, it’s sundown on the union
And what’s made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
’Til greed got in the way
Democracy don’t rule the world
You’d better get that in your head
This world is ruled by violence
But I guess that’s better left unsaid
From Broadway to the Milky Way
That’s a lot of territory indeed
And a man’s gonna do what he has to do
When he’s got a hungry mouth to feed
Well, it’s sundown on the union
And what’s made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
’Til greed got in the way
