Trends and experience in Dutch flexible work and flexicurity policies

Abstract

"The flexibilisation of work and of working life have been issues high on the agenda of the Dutch public debate for at least fifteen years. Mostly, they have been regarded as positive developments, specifically from the viewpoint of their potential for enhancing the employment of the Dutch labour force and for promoting the emancipation and economic self-sufficiency of women. Dutch governments haverecognized, however, that for taking full profit of such benefits flexibilisation has tobe regulated. Which means, not in the least, that flexible workers have to have an adequate social protection. In line with this thinking, policies have been guided by the aspiration of combining flexibility and security. Or to achieve adequate flexicurity as the combination of goals has come to be known. In this chapter the editor will present and discuss critically Dutch flexicurity policies ofrecent years, which have mainly been taken in the fields of part-time work, socialsecurity, labour law, and work-care combination. To put matters into perspective he will start with presenting figures about developmentsin the extent and distribution of flexible work and of part-time work. In main lines it will show that in the Netherlands the degree of flexible work is rathermodest, while the degree of part-time work is very high. Thirdly, he will discuss the development in Dutch government’s flexicurity policies, and describe the aims and content of recent measures. Since collective labour agreements between social partnersare an important part of workers' flexicurity he should also discuss developmentsin this field separately, but space restrictions do not allow this. He will finish with a critical evaluation of the most important measures, and draw some conclusions." (text abstract)