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Christian National Trade Union Federation

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CNV
Christian National Trade Union Federation
Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond
Founded13 May 1909
HeadquartersUtrecht, The Netherlands
Location
Members
350,000[1]
AffiliationsITUC, ETUC
Websitewww.cnv.nl

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

History

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The CNV was founded on 13 May 1909, in Arnhem as a federation of several Christian unions.[2] 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

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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

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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.

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

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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

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Current affiliates

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Union Abbreviation Founded
Professionals Union Vakmensen 2010
Connectief Connectief 2015
Youth Union Jongeren 1955

Former affiliates

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Union Abbreviation Founded Left Reason not affiliated Membership (1965)[3]
Arts Union Kunstenbond 1981 2011 Merged into Vakmensen 80
Association of Christian Teachers in Technical Schools 1,100
Business Union Bedrijvenbond 1998 2010 Merged into Vakmensen N/A
Catholic Education Association KOV 1979 1996 Merged into Onderwijs N/A
Central Union of Dutch Christian Industrial Workers CBC 1916 1971 Merged into CBC-Unitas 22,000
Christian Association of Non-Commissioned Officers 1981 Merged into ACOM 3,200
Christian Metal Industry Union in the Netherlands CMB 1901 1972 Merged into IB 26,000
Christian Union of Cigar Makers and Tobacco Workers in the Netherlands 1969 Merged into CBWAT 1,300
Christian Union of Hairdressers 350
Christian Union of Workers in Agricultural and Tobacco CBWAT 1969 1971 Merged into Voedingsbond N/A
Dutch Central Union of Christian Workers in the Food and Drink Industries 1971 Merged into Voedingsbond 5,000
Dutch Christian Agricultural Workers' Union 1969 Merged into CBWAT 30,000
Dutch Christian Association of Pharmaceutical Assistants 330
Dutch Christian Civil Servants' Union NCB 1952 1964 Split N/A
Dutch Christian Clerical Union 16,000
Dutch Christian Printing Union 5,400
Dutch Christian Union of Dental Technicians 64
Dutch Christian Union of Domestic Workers 300
Dutch Christian Union of Executives 250
Dutch Christian Union of Government Workers NCBO 1946 1982 Merged into Public 35,000
Dutch Christian Union of Salesmen 700
Dutch Christian Union of Workers in the Textile and Clothing Industries 8,400
Dutch Christian Workers' Organisation in Indonesia 1,800
Education Union Onderwijs 1996 2015 Merged into Connectief N/A
Food Union Voedingsbond 1971 1983 Merged into Industrie en Voedingsbond N/A
General Christian Organisation of Military Personnel ACOM 1982 N/A
General Christian Police Union ACP 1981 N/A
General Roman Catholic Civil Servants' Association ARKA 1918 1982 Merged into Public N/A
Industry and Food Union Industrie en Voedingsbond 1983 1998 Merged into Bedrijvenbond N/A
Industrial Workers' Union IB 1973 1983 Merged into Industrie en Voedingsbond N/A
Marechaussee Union MARVER 1907 1999 Transferred to FNV
Protestant Christian Association of Mining Supervisors 560
Protestant Christian Journalists' Union 175
Protestant Christian Mineworkers' Union PCMB 1,075
Protestant Christian Teachers' Association PCO 1974 1996 Merged into Onderwijs N/A
Public Union Public 1983 2015 Merged into Connectief N/A
Services Union Dienstenbond 1964 2015 Merged into Vakmensen
Sextons' Union Kostersbond 2020 Merged into Connectief 500
Transport Union Vervoersbond 1903 1998 Merged into Bedrijvenbond 8,500
Union of Christian Police Staff in the Netherlands BCPAN 1916 1981 Merged into ACP 5,000
Wood and Construction Union Hout en Bouw 1955 2010 Merged into Vakmensen 31,000

Presidents

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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

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  1. ^ "English". Archived from the original on 2012-05-24. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
  2. ^ "CNV honderd jaar" [CNV 100 years]. Stichting VHV (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  3. ^ 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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