EU referendum: working with Dutch unions to defend workers’ rights

In January, the Dutch Government will take over the Presidency of the European Union, which will make them crucial to the EU renegotiation strategy of the UK government. Europe Minister David Lidington is travelling to the Hague today, Thursday 26 November, to see the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bert Koenders.

The UK Government sees the Dutch as key allies for their approach of “European where necessary, national were possible”, but the Dutch government is a coalition of left and right, so Dutch trade union movement FNV have sent a joint letter with the TUC to Bert Koenders to urge him not to give ground to the UK Government on workers’ rights – including the key issue of health and safety at work.