The Netherlands: Temporary agency work and collective bargaining

The Netherlands is a forerunner in the regulation of temp agency work. A main focus in the regulation is the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA). Since the first CLA in 1971 negotiations have led to a better accommodation of the allocation, renumeration and protection of temp agency workers and the Human Resource Management function of temp work agencies. Since the Flex and Security Law, by CLA (and hybrids) regulations exist whereby (a proportion of the) temp workers gain (stepwise) regular employment contracts, with the protection similar to a regular employment contract. With the influx of migrant workers, CLA partners have started (hybrid) initiatives together with the government to come to public-private compliance systems directed at enforcing better working conditions and more effective actions against malafide agencies.