'Become a member of the FNV – the largest national trade union,’ the flyer I was holding told me. No, a colleague told me, I should become a member of the CNV, and she handed me another flyer. Both unions promised me a nice discount on my membership during my first year. In the end, I was left with two flyers of two major unions, and none the wiser what they could do for me.
A couple of months later, a friend asked me if a membership for expats might be relevant. Back then I told her I had no idea. Although working in employment mediation, giving advice on trade union memberships is not part of my work.
Services
The most well known services of a trade union are to protect the rights of those who work, the working conditions and salary. They can give employees legal counsel when they have a dispute with their employer or when the employer wishes to dismiss personnel. And usually when employees go on strike, they are often organised or supported by trade unions by facilitating it – sometimes financially.
However, trade unions like FNV also offer help to job seekers and students by giving them career advice, organising workshops, and by helping them search for new work. Members can also receive help with their tax return.
Options
There are three major trade unions in the Netherlands, FNV, CVN and De Unie. The larger the union, the stronger their position is when they partake in negotiations with employers. Each union represents several branches. FNV, for example, represents the branch of Finance, but also Health Care. These branches are also represented by CVN.
There are also unions that only represent a single branch, like AOB, which represents the education branch. Or NVJ, which represents journalism. (These unions are affiliated to the FNV.)
Costs
The monthly contribution differs per union. FNV, for example, bases its prices on the income of the aspiring member. NVJ, however, offers four different memberships, more based on the labour contract: employment, entrepreneurship, student or basic membership.
International employees
How useful a membership is as an international employee is difficult to say. When your company dispatches you to the Netherlands, it is good to check what your rights are in case of losing your job etc.
When you are searching for a new job abroad it might be interesting and useful to read up on the different unions and the help they can offer, since you will become an employee under the Dutch law, having similar rights as Dutch employees.
Decision
Depending on your work situation it might not be relevant at all to become a member of a Dutch trade union. When you conclude it might be useful, it is also good to know that a membership is not mandatory. It is best to gather information from colleagues and friends, and the information provided by the unions, before deciding whether to do it or not.
I read up on the information the FNV offered, I asked my colleagues questions about their motivation for becoming a member or deciding not to, and checked what my husband thought about it.
I decided not to become a member at this point in my career. Since I am active in employment mediation, the help offered by the unions is not something I will be soon using. The extra service offered such as help with tax return is something I have already covered; the same goes for legal support.
Cecile Koster
Sources:
FNV: https://www.fnv.nl/themas/ontslag/dreigend-ontslag/
Vakbond lid worden: http://www.vakbond-lid-worden.nl/
De Unie: https://www.unie.nl/
AOb: https://www.aob.nl/
NVJ: https://www.nvj.nl/