The representativeness of trade unions and employer associations in the paper sector

The paper sector is a small but dynamic part of the Dutch economy. The sector is divided in two parts: companies which form the basic industry and companies that process these basic products further. Of the three employer associations only Kartoflex is a party in multi-employer collective bargaining. On the employee side four unions are active, organising about 30% of the 12,360 employees in the sector (this figure is reported by the social partners). Of the 19 collective agreements 17 are single-company agreements. The Kartoflex multi-employer agreement is extended and covers 125 companies and 4,000 employees. Collective bargaining coverage is estimated to stand at 80%. Representativeness of the social partners is not an issue and they are serious partners in consultation with the government.