FNV Bondgenoten Henk van der Ploeg Union officer (Representative of all the employees from the Dutch Unions between 2000 and 2006)

History FNV Bondgenoten Result of a merger between 4 unions in 1998 A. services and trade (the poor one with the most potential) B. industry (the rich one with the least potential) C. transport (the small one) D. food (too small)

Members / employees members and more than employees at the start At this moment members and 900 employees, still the largest union in Holland And -- still at risk of a reorganisation

Crash 2002 A loss of almost 2/3th of our means A loss of almost 200 million euros Due to mismanagement and the internet crisis (wallstreet is no good for unions)

And due to a wrong start: A start in 1998 without a blueprint There was no integration plan For “political reasons” First a merger and afterwarts a “democratic’ discussion about the structure is not very wise Union officers are enterprising but are no entrepreneurs!

The restructuring in 2002 Almost 1/5th of the colleagues were fired The first plan was to diminish every department from the union proportional The better plan was to keep in service every colleague directly involved in executing our primairy task: serving our members Less colleagues in the offices and no more functions which are not essential. The most expensive social plan in our history

Who was to blame? At our demand (union of the union employees) the complete board of FNV Bondgenoten was fired They were responsable. They were an obstacle now we had to make a new start

What kind of personnel did we need in 2002? As less as possible: employees behind a desk As much as possible: employees in the factories, in the shops, in the offices. Colleagues trained to go out on the street and into the businesses, visible for members and potential members. And a lot of well trained colleagues to serve the individual members when they have questions or a problem with their employer (lawyers etc.)

And we still need them but also: More officers for the trade and service part of our union Less officers for the old sectors (industry) More professionels for individuel help Introducing organisers, the american model

The future We need union employees with other skills --more millitant --better educated Not necessarily recruted from our members Negotiaters Good social skills and able to do the job together with executives in the companies

Future 2 We need: Younger Other origin(marok/turkey/suriname/antilles) Focussed on the job and not on their income Ambassadors from a good employer who probably leave after a few years….but satisfied about their training and chances, thanks to a job named “union officer” “”proud to have been a trade union officer””

Why We want to be a reflection of our own society. What we radiate to the outside is what we have to do in the inside. In other words:our manpower must become more divers. And so: Younger and more from another origine.

Why 2? Our members: FNV BG has appr members of them (15%) are younger,than 35 years 78% from the members are male, 21% are female; But our employees: Appr. 55% from our colleagues is older than 45 years; The average age is appr. 47 years;

Why So we have to engage more youngsters, more women and more foreigners----- Pure necessity! To be able to understand better the groups we miss at this moment as a unionmember. To become more succesfull in reaching them and to do the good work for them as we promise in our missionstatement.

When they come, they come: Not because of the big money. We don’t pay much. (With our education and skills we can get more sitting on the other site of the table). But because we believe in our job, making things better for those who are weaker. But on one condition! With the best HRM in Holland!

So ! Diversity is our future