The OGBL-LCGB trade union front has confirmed a national demonstration on 28 June. The unions sharply criticised the State of the Nation address for ignoring mounting social concerns and reaffirming a Government line hostile to workers’ rights. Despite repeated efforts to restore social dialogue, the Government dismissed union positions and echoed employer rhetoric, stating that dialogue does not mean co-decision. The unions warned that this departs from the tradition of compromise that underpins the country’s social model. The address confirmed several controversial Government plans, including undermining the role of collective agreements and weakening union prerogatives. Workers’ rights to fair pay and decent working conditions are at stake, unions argue. Plans to liberalise Sunday work and shop opening hours were also reaffirmed, despite their damaging effects on work-life balance.
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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.
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