A five-strong committee has been appointed to thrash out the basis for a new trade union organisation to replace the FNV, at present the largest Dutch union confederation.

The FNV decided to restructure last year, following bitter internal wrangling over a pensions deal with the government. The committee has been instructed to draw up plans to modernise the FNV.

The new organisation, which will have a more streamlined internal voting system, will be launched at a congress in June. It will have to represent the 19 unions at present affiliated to the FNV. However, it must also appeal to workers outside traditional union membership, such as freelancers and contract personnel.

Labour MP Jetta Klijnsma will chair the committee and says she wants people to be able to join the new organisation directly without actually belonging to a union. A website has been set up for people to give their opinions about what the new FNV should be like.

The members of the committee are said to be well acquainted with the Dutch union movement, while remaining essentially independent of existing unions.

(mw/imm)

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