Unions in NL and Germany

• Handel
• MBO
• Studiejaar 1

Thanks for the warm welcome, 

we are very happy to be in Hamburg.

What are we going to do?

• Brief lesson on unions
  
• What can we learn from each other?
  

Pair up: 1 German/1 Dutch, log in, create a teamname

Unions

Introduction

Who are we?

Where do we come from?

Who am I?

What are we going to do?

Nova College

MBO - Handelsschule

Haarlem (near the coast between Zandvoort and Amsterdam)

Educations in Business, Care, Security, Hospitality, Media, ICT

Elsbeth Chambers-Windle

English teacher

Coordinator year 1 at IVS

Member of the work council (union within the organisation)

What do you (both) know about unions?

(Apologies in advance for any slight errors)

How many unions are there in Germany?

1. About 10
2. About 20
3. About 30
4. About 40

How many unions are there in The Netherlands?

1. About 10
2. About 20
3. About 30
4. About 40

A different word for union is...

(multiple answers possible)

1. Arbeidersvereniging/ Arbeiterverband
2. Beroepsvereniging/ Berufsverband
3. Syndicaat/ Syndikat
4. Vakvereniging/ Gewerkschaft

The first unions started around the mid 1800’s, what was the primary reason for starting a union?

1. A growing political interest
2. The labor effects of the industrial revolution
3. The rise of communism by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
4. The rise of the disposable income (NL-besteedbare inkomen D-verfügbares Einkommen)

What is a major difference or similarity between Dutch and German minimum wages?

1. They are both decided by the government
2. They are both decided by the unions
3. In Holland it is decided by government, in Germany by union
4. In Germany it is decided by government, in Holland by union

In the 90ies, unions played a big part in the tendency of wage moderation (NL-loonmatiging, D- Lohnmäßigung) in order to stimulate the economy . Which country started?

1. The Netherlands
2. Germany
3. They both started at the same time
4. They didn’t start, the UK started

A fundamental difference between our two nations is…
1. In Germany the government has a low involvement in union negotiations
2. In the Netherlands the government is decisive in union negotiations

1. Both are correct
2. Both are incorrect
3. 1 is correct, 2 is incorrect
4. 2 is correct, 1 is incorrect

The biggest strikes in The Netherlands were in the period 40-45, when was the last biggest strike in Germany?

1. about 10 years ago
2. about 10 months ago
3. about 10 weeks ago
4. about 10 days ago

Your results. What do we see?

About unions

If you lived in the period of 1850, probably half of you wouldn't make it to their 25-30ies. 

As of the age of 10-12 you would be working in factories, 12-14 hours a day, 6-7 days a week in poor safety and filthy conditions, low pay, abuse and bosses as bullies. You didn't get a regular meal, hardly get a break, were payed per week or fired per day. The money you earned was taken by your boss, family or father... 

who probably spent it on alcohol.

It was in fact modern slavery. No surprise that people started to organise themselves.

Company owners

Focus

Productivity

Money, greed

Work

All benefits with low responsibility

Social environment

Enjoying luxury capitalism

Union? Insubordination!

Company workers

Focus

Try making a living

Families 

Work

All responsibility with low benefits 

Social environment

Planting the seeds for socialism/communism

Union? Rights!

Results after 150 years of Unions in Germany 

In the top of leading/ productive countries

Better balance between employers and employees

Changing importance of Unions

Lesser members

Growing individualisation

Outsourcing of production/less industry

Time for reinventing the union

Results after 150 years of Unions in the  Netherlands 

In the top of leading/ productive countries

Better balance between employers and employees

Changing importance of Unions

Lesser members

Growing individualisation

Outsourcing of production/less industry

Time for reinventing the union

Any questions?