# Dutch Confederation of Trade Unions

The Dutch Confederation of Trade Unions (Dutch: Nederlands Verbond van Vakverenigingen, NVV) was a Dutch social-democratic trade union.

## History

The NVV was founded in 1906 as a merger of fifteen smaller unions, as a result of the inability of the previous unions to control the radical elements of the workers movement in the railworkers' strike of 1903. The NVV was led by Henri Polak, who was a prominent member of the socialist Social Democratic Workers' Party.
During World War II the NVV was taken over by the German occupiers, its Dutch leader was Henk Woudenberg. Under the German occupation the NVV was transformed into a Nazi union. After the war these influences were purged and the NVV cooperated tightly with the centre left government to create a welfare state based on the principles of corporatism.
In the 1970s NVV membership began to decline due to depillarisation. Under the leadership of Wim Kok the NVV attempted to form a federation with the Protestant Christian National Trade Union Federation (CNV) and the Catholic Dutch Catholic Trade Union Federation (NKV) which could strengthen all three. The CNV, however, left the talks in 1973. In 1976 the NVV and the NKV merged to form the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV).

## Ideology

The NVV started out as a socialist union, in favour of class struggle, workers' ownership of the means of production, and the use of strikes. After the second world war it began to moderate its tone, becoming, social-democratic and cooperating in the creation of a welfare state and a corporatist economy.

## Organization

The NVV has close formal, ideological and personal links with the socialist Social Democratic Workers' Party and later with the social-democratic PvdA. Together with the socialist VARA and several other organizations they formed the socialist pillar.

## Presidents

    1906: Henri Polak
    1909: Jan Oudegeest
    1919: Roel Stenhuis
    1929: Evert Kupers
    1940: Henk Woudenberg
    1942: Vacant
    1945: Evert Kupers
    1949: Henk Oosterhuis
    1956: Kees van Wingerden
    1959: Derk Roemers
    1965: André Kloos
    1971: Harry ter Heide
    1972: Wim Kok

## Affiliates

| Union | Abbreviation | Founded | Left | Reason not a member | Membership (1921) | Membership (1964) |
| Association of Captains and Officers of the Merchant Navy | VKO | | 1970 | Merged into FMV | N/A | |
| Central Dutch Union of Civil Servants | CNAB | 1919 | 1946 | Merged into ABVA | 10,122 | N/A |
| Central Organisation of Merchant Navy Officers | CKO | 1922 | 1955 | Merged into CKV | N/A | N/A |
| Central Organisation of Sailors and Fishermen | CKV | 1956 | 1967 | Merged into FWZ | N/A | 10,818 |
| Central Union of Transport Workers | CBT | 1917 | 1955 | Merged into NBV | 20,550 | N/A |
| Dutch Barbers' and Hairdressers' Union | | 1891 | 1947 | Merged into ANBH | 266 | N/A |
| Dutch Litho-, Photo- and Chemographers' Union | NLFCB | 1912 | 1945 | Merged into ANGB | 1,536 | N/A |
| Dutch Painters' Assistants' Union | NSGB | 1905 | 1941 | Merged into ANB | 6,076 | N/A |
| Dutch Musical Artists' Union | NTB | 1919 | 1963 | Disaffiliated | 513 | N/A |
| Dutch Police Union | NPB | 1946 | 1981 | Transferred to FNV | N/A | 7,049 |
| Dutch Union of Glass and Pottery Workers | NVvGA | 1907 | 1926 | Merged into ABC | 2,670 | N/A |
| Dutch Union of Hotel, Restaurant and Cafe Workers | NBHCR | 1919 | 1981 | Transferred to FNV | 3,240 | 6,208 |
| Dutch Union of Insurance Agents and Collectors | ANBVZI | 1919 | 1947 | Merged into Mercurius | N/A | N/A |
| Dutch Union of Personnel in Government Service | NBPO | 1920 | 1946 | Merged into ABVA | 15,233 | N/A |
| Dutch Association of Railway and Tramway Employees | NV | 1886 | 1955 | Merged into NBV | 20,784 | N/A |
| Dutch Union of Workers in Meat and Related Industries | | | 1948 | Merged into ABVG | 1,219 | N/A |
| Federation of Maritime Workers | FWZ | 1967 | 1981 | Transferred to FNV | N/A | N/A |
| General Diamond Workers' Union of the Netherlands | ANDB | 1894 | 1958 | Merged into ANMB | 9,543 | N/A |
| General Dutch Construction Union | ANB | 1920 | 1970 | Merged into ANBH | 18,885 | 76,400 |
| General Dutch Industrial Union of Agriculture | ANAB | 1909 | 1970 | Merged into AVB | 13,521 | 32,114 |
| General Dutch Industrial Union of the Mining Industry | ANBM | 1909 | 1970 | Merged into ABC | 2,870 | 2,002 |
| General Dutch Industrial Union of the Tobacco Industry | ANBTI | 1887 | 1969 | Merged into ABC | 7,552 | 2,422 |
| General Dutch Metalworkers' Union | ANMB | 1886 | 1972 | Merged into IB-NVV | 21,048 | 107,478 |
| General Dutch Pavers' Union | | 1915 | | Merged into ANB | 670 | N/A |
| General Dutch Plasterers' Union | ANSB | 1903 | 1941 | Merged into ANB | 1,300 | N/A |
| General Dutch Printing Union | ANGB | 1945 | 1981 | Transferred to FNV | N/A | 29,097 |
| General Dutch Typographers' Union | ANTB | 1866 | 1945 | Merged into ANGB | 10,538 | N/A |
| General Dutch Union of Domestic Workers | ANBH | 1930 | 1954 | Merged into ABC | 514 | N/A |
| General Dutch Union of the Building and Wood Industries | ANBH | 1970 | 1981 | Merged into BHB | N/A | N/A |
| General Dutch Union of Trade and Office Workers | ANBHK | 1905 | 1940 | Merged into Mercurius | 4,932 | N/A |
| General Union of the Food and Stimulant Industries | ABVG | 1948 | 1970 | Merged into AVB | N/A | 12,956 |
| General Dutch Union of Workers in the Baking, Chocolate and Sugar Working Industries | | 1908 | 1948 | Merged into ABVG | 5,122 | N/A |
| General Industrial Union of Furniture Makers and Woodworkers | ABMH | 1871 | 1970 | Merged into ANBH | 5,760 | 9,347 |
| General Industrial Union of Textiles and Clothing | ABTK | 1895 | 1972 | Merged into IB-NVV | 6,009 | 18,444 |
| General Union of Artists | | 1964 | 1981 | Transferred to FNV | N/A | 386 |
| General Union of Civil Servants | ABVA | 1946 | 1980 | Merged into ABVA-KABO | N/A | 87,190 |
| General Union of Education Personnel | ABOP | 1966 | 1981 | Transferred to FNV | N/A | N/A |
| General Union of Miscellaneous Industries | ABC | 1907 | 1972 | Merged into IB-NVV | 17,449 | 46,161 |
| General Union of Pharmaceutical Assistants | AAAB | 1890 | 1980 | Transferred to FNV | N/A | 1,006 |
| Industrial Union of Agriculture and Food | AVB | 1970 | 1981 | Merged into VOEB | N/A | N/A |
| Industrial Workers' Union NVV | IB-NVV | 1972 | 1981 | Merged into IB | N/A | N/A |
| Navvies' Union | | | | Merged into ANB | 2,221 | N/A |
| Mercurius | Mercurius | 1940 | 1981 | Merged into DIBO | N/A | 31,030 |
| Dutch Transport Workers' Union | NBV | 1956 | 1982 | Merged into VB | N/A | 45,534 |
| Union of the Clothing Industry | | 1901 | 1942 | Merged into ABTK | 5,803 | N/A |
| Union of Dental Technicians | | | | | N/A | N/A |
| Union of Dutch Captains and Mates in the Merchant Navy | VNGSK | 1901 | 1922 | Merged into CKO | | N/A |
| Union of Dutch Teachers | BNO | 1874 | 1946 | Merged into NOV | N/A | N/A |
| Union of Foremen and Technical and Supervisory Personnel | | | | | 665 | N/A |
| Union of Marine Engineers | VVS | 1913 | 1922 | Merged into CKO | N/A | |
| Union of the Merchant Navy | | | | | N/A | |