Industrial Relations and Works Councils in the Netherlands—Results from Interviews and a Survey among HR Managers

Abstract

(from the chapter) The Dutch labor market is growing more and more flexible. Over 10% of the workers are currently self-employed, whereas this percentage used to be 7% in 2001. Being self-employed is not a free choice for all workers, especially not for those who lack assignments and therefore income-the so-called outsiders on the labor market. Outsiders are also those workers who would like to have a permanent job, but can only get a temporary one. New and positive ways of flexible working are the so-called new working arrangements, in which employees work 'any place, any time'. These and other developments have a high impact upon industrial relations in the Netherlands. Many criticizers of today's Dutch employment relations believe that new arrangements are necessary, in order to close the gap between insiders and outsiders on the Dutch labor market. To do so, Dutch government, together with the 'social partners' (trade unions and employer organizations) negotiated a 'social agreement' in 2013, in which they made all kinds of arrangements to improve sustainable employability, job transitions, as well as transitions from unemployment to paid work. In this chapter, we will describe and illustrate developments such as above in the current Dutch industrial and employment relations. Next, we will describe the results of an interview study among ten HR managers of diverse Dutch organizations, about their perceptions of employee participation within their company, as it takes shape through the works council. Finally, results ofa survey among HR managers on employee participation are described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved)