VAN HOEK Aukje A H van Hoek III C Collective labour relations: the institutional context Collective labour relations are shaped by the interaction between the unions. employers'assocations and the govemment. In the Netherlands most unions are organized in one of the two federations. the christian CNv and the neutral FNv(the latter being the product of a merger between the ca tholic and socia list federations in 1976). There is however a separate federation for unions representing the higher-level personnel groups. The federations are the contactpersons for both the central employers'organizations and the national government on general ocio-econom ic issues. They are not involved in direct negotiations on collective agreements, a task which lies with the unions. The federations can issue recommendations to the unions, but the latter are not legally or hierarchially bound by such advice. Besides their national coordinating role, the federations play a ole in representing the employees at the national and intemational levels, e.g. in the European Trade Union Confederation and the International Confederation of ndependent Unions. Mem bership of the federations is only open to unions The unions are predom inantly organized a long the lines of economic activity After the Second World War and a gain in the 1990s, the unions demonstrated a tendency to merge into ever larger organisations. In 1997 the unions for the arts information technology and the meda all merged. Another recent merger occurred 1998 when several FNV unions representing particular branches formed one union with over 500.000 members. 3 Time and aga in, however, members of a particular rofession would not feel sufficiently represented by these unions and would create (or mainta in)separate professional unions. In the late 1980s, for example, a separate Centre forthe Enforcement of European Law, University ofUtrecht 1. The federation was established m 1976, the official merger took place in 1981: w. Albeda, WJ Dercksen, FH Tros, Arbeidsverhoudingen n Nederland, Alphen a/d Rin: Samsom, 6th revised dition 1998, p. 54 P. Windmuller, C. de galan, A F. van Zweden, Arbeidsverhoud ngen in Nederland, Utrecht: Het Spectrum, 6th edition 1987, p. 268 and 280; WIPM. Fase 1980 p. 12, AAH van Hoek, Internationale mobiliteit van werknemers, Den Haag: SDU 2000, P 33; W. Albeda, w.J. Dercksen, F. HTros, Arbeidsverhoud ingen in Nederland, Alphen a/d Rin: Samsom, 6th rev sed editon 1998, p.52 The merger involved the unon forservices, the union for transport the union for the foodstuffs ndnutritionsectorandtheunonforndustryhttp:/aWww.bondgenotenfiv.nlktart/ibg/fra mes/index. htm; W. Albeda, w.J. Dercksen, F.H. Tros, Arbeidsverhoudngen n Nederland, Alphen a/d Rin: Samsom, 6th rev sed edition 1998, p 52; H.L. Bakels, I P. Ascher-Vonk, WJ.P.M. Fase Schets van het Neder lands Arbeidsrecht, Deventer: Kluwer, 1 6thedition 2000, p. 177 Examples of unions representing specific profess ions are the union for nurses and assistant-nurses, the union for the national railways tram drivers and tram conductors, theunion for pilots in civil aviaton and the union for medial doctors employed under a labour contract. Some of these profess onal mons are completely ndependent and not affiliated with amy of the threeVAN HOEK 2 Aukje A.H. van Hoek** III C 1 Collective labour relations: the institutional context Collective labour relations are shaped by the interaction between the unions, employers’ assocations and the government. In the Netherlands most unions are organized in one of the two federations: the christian CNV and the neutral FNV (the latter being the product of a merger between the catholic and socialist federations in 1976 1 ). There is however a separate federation for unions representing the higher-level personnel groups. The federations are the contactpersons for both the central employers’ organizations and the national government on general socio-economic issues. They are not involved in direct negotiations on collective agreements, a task which lies with the unions. The federations can issue recommendations to the unions, but the latter are not legally or hierarchially bound by such advice. Besides their national coordinating role, the federations play a role in representing the employees at the national and international levels, e.g. in the European Trade Union Confederation and the International Confederation of Independent Unions. Membership of the federations is only open to unions. The unions are predominantly organized along the lines of economic activity. After the Second World War and again in the 1990s, the unions demonstrated a tendency to merge into ever larger organisations.2 In 1997 the unions for the arts, information technology and the media all merged. Another recent merger occurred in 1998 when several FNV unions representing particular branches formed one union with over 500.000 members.3 Time and again, however, members of a particula r profession would not feel sufficiently represented by these unions and would create (or maintain) separate professional unions.4 In the late 1980s, for example, a separate ** Centre for the Enforcement of European Law, University of Utrecht. 1. The federation was established in 1976, the official merger took place in 1981: W. Albeda, W.J. Dercksen, F.H. Tros, Arbeidsverhoudingen in Nederland, Alphen a/d Rijn: Samsom, 6th revised edition 1998, p. 54. 2. J.P. Windmuller, C. de Galan, A.F. van Zweden, Arbeidsverhoudingen in Nederland, Utrecht: Het Spectrum, 6th edition 1987, p. 268 and 280; W.J.P.M. Fase 1980 p. 12, A.A.H. van Hoek, Internationale mobiliteit van werknemers, Den Haag: SDU 2000, p. 33; W. Albeda, W.J. Dercksen, F.H.Tros, Arbeidsverhoudingen in Nederland, Alphen a/d Rijn: Samsom, 6th revised edition 1998, p. 52. 3. The merger involved the union for services, the union for transport, the union for the foodstuffs and nutrition sector and the union for industry. http://www.bondgenoten.fnv.nl/start/fbg/fra￾mes/index.htm; W. Albeda, W.J. Dercksen, F.H. Tros, Arbeidsverhoudingen in Nederland, Alphen a/d Rijn: Samsom, 6th revised edition 1998, p. 52; H.L. Bakels, I.P. Ascher-Vonk, W.J.P.M. Fase, Schets van het Nederlands Arbeidsrecht, Deventer: Kluwer, 16th edition 2000, p. 177. 4. Examples of unions representing specific professions are the union for nurses and assistant-nurses, the union for the national railways’ train drivers and train conductors, the union for pilots in civil aviation and the union for medical doctors employed under a labour contract. Some of these professional unions are completely independent and not affiliated with any of the three