Archive:Public employment - Netherlands
This Statistics Explained article is outdated and has been archived.
- Source: Ministry of the Spanish presidency 2010, publication "Public employment in the European Union Member States" .
This article is part of a set of background articles and introduces public employment in the Netherlands.
Regional and administrative organisation
Introduction
The Netherlands are located in the North-West of Europe and consist of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
It has been a member of the European Community since the Constitutional Treaties of 1951 and 1957. It is one of the founding countries of the UNO, NATO, IMF, World Bank and the EU. It is also the headquarters of the International Court of Justice.
It is governed according to the 1954 Statute of the Kingdom and the 1815 Constitution, which has been modified several times. Male universal suffrage was implemented in 1917 whilst women obtained the right to vote in 1919.
System of government
The Netherlands is defined as a constitutional monarchy, with a parliamentary system. Legislative Power is made up of the General States or Staten Generaal (Parliament) consisting of two Houses of legislative representation: Senate (Eerste Kamer), which is made up of 75 senators, who are indirectly elected. They have the right to reject the legislative process and the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) with 150 members directly elected by popular vote. The Executive Power is exercised by the Government and the Administration. The Government includes Ministers, Secretaries of State and the Monarch. The Queen exercises Executive Power, ratifies the free election of the Prime Minister and is Head of State. Judiciary Power is exercised by the directly elected Provisional Assemblies.
Regional organisation
The Netherlands has a Central Government, as well as provincial and municipal governments and water boards. Central government concerns itself with issues of national interest. The twelve provinces are responsible for social work, cultural affairs, environmental management, spatial planning, energy supply and sport. Municipal authorities are responsible for traffic, housing, social services, health, sport, culture, water supply, state schools, and recreation. They are financed with funds from the government and local taxes.
Public employment structure
This is a departmental system in which a great deal of power in conferred in separate departmental organizations.
Staff Categories: There are two categories of public sector employees:
A. Civil servants with a public-law status. Their employment conditions are very similar to those of private the sector. They are not appointed for life.
B. Contractual employees with a private contract. This type of contract was stopped in 1993 so this category of employee will eventually disappear.
Statistics: There are 1 million public employees (12 % in State Administration).
Rights, obligations, principles and values
Rights: Civil servants have the same social and political rights as private-sector employees. They can carry out administrative functions in local or regional governments at the same time as functions for which they have been elected representative in another local or regional government. However, they may not carry out administrative functions and hold a position in national government at the same time. Legal texts do not recognise civil servants’ right to strike but the directly applicable European Social Charter grants this right with some restrictions for some categories of employees (armed forces, police and railway personnel). Civil servants may join unions and political parties.
Duties: Public sector employees are bound by a duty of neutrality, loyalty, discretion and professional secrecy.
Career-based system. Training
Mobility: Dutch public employment is an open position-based system so employees can only achieve promotion by applying to another post.
Job vacancies are in theory offered to all Dutch citizens in accordance with their competencies.
Training: There is no initial training system for civil servants but there is a highly developed on-going education system via the Local Government Training Institute and the EIPA provides training in European matters in Maastricht.
Human Resource Management is highly decentralised. The Provinces and Municipalities also have the power and responsibility to adopt their own regulations within limits set by the Civil Service Law.
Remuneration
Remuneration is mainly based on the position occupied and the performance appraisal. There is a salary scale for each grade. Each employee receives an annual salary increase after a year in the position. A merit-related allowance may be granted for exceptional work.
Social dialogue and system of representation
The Constitution, Civil Service Law and other laws regulate the social dialogue. There are few differences between the public and private sector. The Administration is represented by the Minister of the Interior and employees are represented by the leading trade unions. They must be consulted on employment conditions but never in relation to political matters or administrative organization.
Working conditions are subject to collective bargaining carried out at a decentralised sectorial level. Agreements set out the new employment conditions and are administratively coded, as these collective agreements are legally binding. Negotiations affecting the whole state are centralised in the Sectorial Consultation Committee for Public Employees, which comprises the Minister of the Interior and the trade unions.
Senior civil servants
Status and Positions: The Senior Civil Service was created in 1995. At the same time, the ABD Office, a centralised SCS office, was created to manage the senior civil service system. (Summary Table)
Recruitment and Appointment: The public employment system is position-based. Senior executive positions are open to internal and external candidates. Recruitment is based on past performance. The ABD Office plays major role in recruitment, career development, training and SCS mobility. The most important criteria are: education, previous work experience and motivation. Recruitment for SCS positions is centralised, and appointment is to a specific post. Vacancies are published on the ABD website and are open. The average age upon entering the senior civil service group is 30-50 years old.
Members of the Top Management Group are appointed for 5 years with the two possibilities of extending this period for one more year, although there are appointments for an indefinite period. The final appointment decision lies with the Minister.
Management: Senior civil servants are managed by the centralised ABD office. The tasks of the ABD office are to organise the recruitment process for top management positions, offer career advice to senior civil servants and organise training courses.
Assessment: The objectives of senior civil servants are set out in working agreements, which were introduced in 2000 to ensure that officials in senior positions have regular meetings with their line managers (Minister and Secretary-General).
Training: Specific programmes have been set up by the ABD Office to develop leadership and other competencies in grade 15 or lower. There is also a Senior Civil Service Candidate’s Programme which takes competencies and skills as the starting point for training future leaders. The key objective of this Programme is personal development in positions in scales below the senior civil service.
Remuneration: Pay for senior civil servants is decided by the Government. Approval by Parliament is not required, but is sought informally. Senior Civil Servants only receive base Salary. There is no merit increase or variable income. The Top Management Group may receive a bonus of one-month’s salary.
Diversity Policy: There is a special policy on gender diversity applicable to civil servants in general and to senior civil servants. In terms of female representation, the target is for 25 % of senior civil servant positions to be held by women by the end of 2011.
Work-Life Balance: It is possible for Senior Civil Servants to work at home (tele- working), work part-time and have flexi-working time.
Mobility: There is a system for seconding senior civil servants for up to two years. Hence, temporary vacancies are filled, while fostering mobility among senior civil servants.
Recent reforms and prospects
There is a consensus in Dutch political circles that bureaucracy needs to be lightened. After the major reforms carried out by the State in the 1990s (significant cuts in the work force, systematic assessment of public policy development), the government has now put the emphasis on reducing administrative costs (“better regulation”) and the number of civil servants.
The Dutch government will ease and promote the mobility of civil servants. Civil servants whose job is destined to disappear will be assisted by the “Civil Servants’ Mobility Organisation”, which is made up of civil servants from various ministry human resource departments. The aim of this organisation is to find them another position either inside or outside government services.
A new campaign called “Working for Central Government” was launched in 2007 to attract new employees, with a special focus on young graduates.