Christian National Trade Union Federation

The Christian National Trade Union Federation (Dutch: Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond, CNV) is a federation of trade unions of the Netherlands.

CNV
Full nameChristian National Trade Union Federation
Native nameChristelijk Nationaal Vakverbond
Founded13 May 1909
Members350,000[1]
AffiliationITUC, ETUC
Office locationUtrecht, The Netherlands
CountryNetherlands
Websitewww.cnv.nl

History

The CNV was founded on 13 May 1909, in Arnhem as a federation of several Christian unions. It was founded in reaction to the socialist Dutch Confederation of Trade Unions (NVV), which was founded in 1906. The CNV was more moderate than the NVV. It opposed the idea of class struggle and instead oriented itself towards a corporatist model of the economy. It was an interconfessional union, intended to represent both Protestant and Roman Catholic workers.

In 1912, however, the Roman Catholic bishops spoke out against interconfessional unions. All Roman Catholics left CNV and founded a separate Roman Catholic union, the RKWV "Rooms-Katholieke Werklieden Verbond" (Roman Catholic Workers' Union). The CNV orientated itself towards the Protestant Anti-Revolutionary Party, with which it formed the Protestant pillar.

After World War II, the corporatist model, which the CNV advocated was introduced in the Netherlands, this was combined with a strong welfare state. Unions received more influence in Dutch politics: the CNV became part of the Social-Economic Council an advisory board of government composed of representatives from unions, employers' organisations and independent scientists.

Because of the depillarisation of Dutch society and the rising political polarisation between left and right, the three major unions, the socialist NVV, the Protestant CNV and the Dutch Catholic Trade Union Federation (NKV) began to open talks in order to found one single federation of Dutch unions. In 1974 the CNV left those talks. In 1976 the NVV and NKV merged to form the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV), which was led by Wim Kok.

Activities

The most important function of CNV 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 unions, the employers' organisations and government appointed experts also have seats.

Ideology

The CNV started out as a moderate, Christian-democratic union, which was opposed to class struggle and workers' ownership of the means of production. Gradually, however, it oriented itself towards cooperation with the employers' organisations and a corporatist model of the economy. The CNV still prefers cooperating with employers over strikes.

In recent years it has been more successful in adapting to new societal trends compared to the FNV. It has founded a youth union, CNV-jongeren to address the issues of the ageing population and it has campaigned on issues of international cooperation with a separate organisation called CNV international.

Organisation

The CNV is a federation of three affiliated trade unions. Its board is formed by four daily board members (a chairman, a vice-chairman, a secretary and a treasurer), and the chairs of the affiliated unions. The CNV has around 355,000 members. The current chair is Maurice Limmen. Although the CNV is formally independent of other organisations there are strong ideological and personal links with the CDA. Former CNV vice chair Aart-Jan de Geus served between 2002 and 2007 as CDA minister of Social Affairs and Employment for instance.

Affiliates

Current affiliates

UnionAbbreviationFounded
Professionals UnionVakmensen2010
ConnectiefConnectief2015
Youth UnionJongeren1955

Former affiliates

UnionAbbreviationFoundedLeftReason not affiliatedMembership (1965)[2]
Arts UnionKunstenbond19812011Merged into Vakmensen80
Association of Christian Teachers in Technical Schools1,100
Business UnionBedrijvenbond19982010Merged into VakmensenN/A
Catholic Education AssociationKOV19791996Merged into OnderwijsN/A
Central Union of Dutch Christian Industrial WorkersCBC19161971Merged into CBC-Unitas22,000
Christian Association of Non-Commissioned Officers1981Merged into ACOM3,200
Christian Metal Industry Union in the NetherlandsCMB19011972Merged into IB26,000
Christian Union of Cigar Makers and Tobacco Workers in the Netherlands1969Merged into CBWAT1,300
Christian Union of Hairdressers350
Christian Union of Workers in Agricultural and TobaccoCBWAT19691971Merged into VoedingsbondN/A
Dutch Central Union of Christian Workers in the Food and Drink Industries1971Merged into Voedingsbond5,000
Dutch Christian Agricultural Workers' Union1969Merged into CBWAT30,000
Dutch Christian Association of Pharmaceutical Assistants330
Dutch Christian Civil Servants' UnionNCB19521964SplitN/A
Dutch Christian Clerical Union16,000
Dutch Christian Printing Union5,400
Dutch Christian Union of Dental Technicians64
Dutch Christian Union of Domestic Workers300
Dutch Christian Union of Executives250
Dutch Christian Union of Government WorkersNCBO19461982Merged into Public35,000
Dutch Christian Union of Salesmen700
Dutch Christian Union of Workers in the Textile and Clothing Industries8,400
Dutch Christian Workers' Organisation in Indonesia1,800
Education UnionOnderwijs19962015Merged into ConnectiefN/A
Food UnionVoedingsbond19711983Merged into Industrie en VoedingsbondN/A
General Christian Organisation of Military PersonnelACOM1982N/A
General Christian Police UnionACP1981N/A
General Roman Catholic Civil Servants' AssociationARKA19181982Merged into PublicN/A
Industry and Food UnionIndustrie en Voedingsbond19831998Merged into BedrijvenbondN/A
Industrial Workers' UnionIB19731983Merged into Industrie en VoedingsbondN/A
Marechaussee UnionMARVER19071999Transferred to FNV
Protestant Christian Association of Mining Supervisors560
Protestant Christian Journalists' Union175
Protestant Christian Mineworkers' UnionPCMB1,075
Protestant Christian Teachers' AssociationPCO19741996Merged into OnderwijsN/A
Public UnionPublic19832015Merged into ConnectiefN/A
Services UnionDienstenbond19642015Merged into Vakmensen
Sextons' UnionKostersbond2020Merged into Connectief500
Transport UnionVervoersbond19031998Merged into Bedrijvenbond8,500
Union of Christian Police Staff in the NetherlandsBCPAN19161981Merged into ACP5,000
Wood and Construction UnionHout en Bouw19552010Merged into Vakmensen31,000

Presidents

1909: Hendrik Diemer
1916: Klaas Kruithof
1935: Antoon Stapelkamp
1947: Marinus Ruppert
1959: Cor van Mastrigt
1964: Jan van Eibergen
1969: Jan Lanser
1978: Harm van der Meulen
1986: Henk Hofstede
1992: Anton Westerlaken
1998: Doekle Terpstra
2005: Josine Westerbeek-Huitink
2005: René Paas
2009: Bert van Boggelen
2010: Jaap Smit
2014: Maurice Limmen
2018: Arend van Wijngaarden
2020: Piet Fortuin

References

  1. http://www.cnv.nl/english/
  2. Wirtz, W. Willard (1965). Directory of Labor Organizations, Europe. Washington DC: United States Department of Labor. pp. 20.19–20.26.
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