Individu en collectief in arbeidsverhoudingen: een complexe relatie

Many present-day issues regarding employment and income are related to the relation between the individual and the collective. This essay discusses two theoretical perspectives on this relationship. The first perspective puts the individual central, but acknowledges that there can be good reasons (e.g. public goods, externalities) for collective arrangements. In the second perspective, the collective is the point of departure, but there can be room for individual freedom as long as it does not harm collective interests. These perspectives are illustrated by the collective labour agreement (in particular, clauses regarding training) and the question which workers should be included in the ‘community’ of the firm.