The Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (English: Federation Dutch Labour Movement; FNV) is a federation of trade unions of the Netherlands.

History [link]

The FNV was founded in 1976 as a federation of two unions, the Catholic NKV and the social-democratic NVV. The Protestant CNV originally also participated in the talks, but it refused to fully merge into a new union. The federation was founded because of declining membership, due to depillarization and increasing political polarization between left and right. The two fused officially in 1982. Wim Kok, who had already been chair of NVV between 1973 and 1976 became chair of the new organization, which he remained until 1986 when entered parliament for the PvdA.

The FNV was crucial in the economic recovery in the Netherlands during the 1980s. It supported the so-called Accords of Wassenaar, where employee accepted lower wages in trade for more employment. During the 1990s the FNV came into a heavy conflict over reforms the WAO, the disabled act, with the cabinet Lubbers-III, in which the party's former chair, Kok, was vice-prime minister. The proposals were consequently dropped.

In the 2000s the FNV came into conflict with the Second Balkenende cabinet over the AOW, the old aged act, and the WAO, the disabilities act. A huge protest was organized in Amsterdam in 2004. The FNV became a leading member in "Keer het Tij" (Turn the Tide) an alliance of social organizations that opposed the cabinet and became involved in organizing the Dutch Social Forum, the Dutch branch of the World Social Forum in 2004 and 2006.

Ideology [link]

Although the FNV started out as a neutral union, it has a strong social-democratic orientation. It is critical of both government and employers but is also heavily incorporated in the Dutch corporatist system. Compared to the other major union, CNV, FNV is more leftwing and has more often used strikes, although use of these actions is rare in comparison to other European unions.

Activities [link]

The most important function of FNV is the CAO-talks, over wages and secondary working conditions, it holds with the employers' federations. It also advises government via the Social Economic Council in which other trade unions, employers' organizations and government appointed experts also have seats.

Organization [link]

FNV consists out of seventeen affiliate unions, with a total of 1.4 million members, out of a total of 1.9 million people who are member of a trade union. The highest organ of the FNV is the federation congress, which meets every four years. It consists out of members of all affiliate unions, represented proportionally. It elects a federation board with four members, a chair, a vice-chair, a secretary and a treasurer. The current chair is Agnes Jongerius. A federation council is formed by the board members, and the chairs of the fourteen affiliated unions. It takes decisions over FNV policy.

Although the FNV is formally independent of other organizations there are strong ideological and personal links with the social-democratic PvdA in what is known as the pillarization. Former FNV chair Wim Kok served as prime minister of the Netherlands, between 1994 and 2002. Politicians from other Dutch parties also have their background in FNV, former leader of the Dutch GreenLeft Paul Rosenmöller was one of the leaders of the FNV in the Rotterdam harbours.

The FNV affiliate unions

• FNV Bondgenoten: the industrial union with about 480,000 members
• ABVAKABO FNV: the civil servants' union, with around 365,000 members
• FNV Bouw: which represents the interest of construction workers; it has around 155,000 members
• Algemene Onderwijsbond: the teachers' union, with around 72,000 members
• ANBO: the 50+ union, joined the FNV in 2009
• FNV KIEM: which represents the interest of artists, those employed in the information and media sector; it has around 48,000 members
• FNV Horecabond: the union for those employed by hotels, restaurants and pubs, with 27,000
• NPB: which represents the interest of police personnel; it has 22,000 members
• AFMP: the military union with 26,000 members
• FNV Mooi: represents barbers and beauty parlors; it has 10,000 members
• NVJ: union of journalists; it has around 7,300 members
• FNV Vrouwenbond: which represents women, both employed and unemployed; it has around 6,100 members
• Nautilus NL: the seafaring union with about 6,000 members
• FNV Sport: professional athletes; it has around 1,450 members
• VVCS: professional soccer players; it has around 750 members
• FNV Zelfstandigen: which represents the interest of the self-employed; it has around 7,000 members
• FNV ZBO: which represents the interest of the self-employed in the construction and lumber sectors

External links [link]

• fnv site

Organized labour portal