The number of trade union members fell by nearly 100,000 in the past two years. According to Statistics Netherlands, this is a decrease of 6%. The number of union members has been declining for 10 years. In March 2021, there were still about 1.5 million members, 98,000 fewer than in 2019. That is the lowest number of union members since 1966. The average age of union members is rising. Currently, 22% are older than the retirement age, compared to 18% in 2019. The overall union density rate is 18% of all employees. Union density is highest in education (31%) and lowest in the information and communication sector (6%).
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For more information, please contact Paul de Beer or Oana Ciuca, De Burcht (Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement) p.t.debeer@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Mehmet Koksal mkoksal@etui.org. For previous full issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit https://www.etui.org/Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter or consult the archive with all articles in our database at www.cbnarchive.eu.
You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org.