The Netherlands: The representativeness of trade unions and employer associations in the live performance sector

Two factors make industrial relations in this sector atypical. Firstly, performing artists generally do not see themselves as an employee, and secondly there is the continuing trend towards commercialisation. These factors make it hard for employer associations and unions to organise employees and employers as social partners. This said, around 90% of employees in the public part of the sector fall under a collective agreement. In the public non-commercial part of the sector, the representativeness of the social partners is not at issue; the extending in 2009 of the collective agreement for the performing arts has highlighted this.