In a capitalist society, our labour is sold as a commodity. We have no control over our own work: owners and managers make their profits from the production we run, or the services we provide. BIJ1 believes that work should not be exploitation and that working people have the right to reap the benefits of their own work. We stand for job security, empowerment and self-determination, a fair distribution of work and an inclusive labour market.

SECURITY AND FAIR REWARDS

BIJ1 does not want us to work just in order to survive and believes that security in livelihood and the security to live well should be the basis for everyone. In addition, domestic work, informal care and voluntary work are also of great value to society, and this deserves our appreciation. Flexibilisation of the labour market must be tackled: permanent contracts and therefore greater security must become the norm. In addition, there must be fair pay for the work of young people and of people in care and education.

EMPOWERMENT AND SELF-DETERMINATION

When we talk about fair valuation, we are also talking about how the economy as a whole is organised. In this economy, the making of profits is central. However, the profits do not belong to those who work hard for them, but to the business owners. That has to change. Working people must be given more of a say in their work. In addition, the work of sex workers must also be valued as work in its own right, in which self-determination is paramount.

FAIR DISTRIBUTION OF WORK AND AN INCLUSIVE LABOUR MARKET

Work must be accessible to everyone, which currently is not yet the case. Racism, sexism, ableism and other forms of oppression must be fought convincingly. Work must also be distributed more fairly and we must tackle gender inequality. People with (invisible) disabilities also deserve a fair chance of a sustainable job and fair pay, where we look at opportunities and not difficulties. Migrant workers also deserve the same rights as Dutch workers.

SECURITY IN EXISTENCE AND FAIR VALUATION AT THE FOREFRONT

1. The minimum wage will be raised to EUR 14 per hour. With this we also increase the rate of social security benefits and pensions. The minimum youth wage will be equal to the adult minimum wage.
2. Work that is currently undervalued, such as the work of care workers, teachers and public transport employees, must be given a fair valuation. This translates not only into appropriate pay but also into working conditions.
3. We will make flex- and temporary work more expensive for employers. Employees who work on a temporary contract for more than nine months must be given a permanent contract. We want to improve protection against dismissal.
4. Learning should be central to traineeships. Trainees are not a (cheap) labour force. There is always a fair remuneration for traineeships. If a student has a work placement obligation, obtaining a traineeship placement should not be entirely dependent on job application success. Where necessary or desirable, allocation is used. The Inspectorate will be given more resources to detect and punish internship discrimination and exploitation more severely.
5. We convert meaningful unpaid work into paid employment wherever possible.
6. People with a (invisible) disability are paid as much as colleagues without disabilities with the same work.

MORE CONTROL OVER YOUR OWN WORK

1. Control over work will be taken out of the hands of company owners. Employees will be able to control their own work through the democratic governance of companies owned by employees.
2. We extend the right to part-time work, including in managerial and policy positions. This should include greater freedom for employees to determine their own working hours.
3. We are opposed to false self-employment. For all pretence self-employed, from postal workers to bicycle couriers, we guarantee correct wages- and labour rights. We encourage platform cooperatives run by the working people themselves.
4. We ensure that all sectors of industry have a collective bargaining agreement, so that the protection of employees is optimally regulated.
5. The right to strike will be extended: it should not be the case that you can only strike when it suits the authorities and employers.
6. Trade unions that are insufficiently independent of employers do not serve the interests of employees. These trade unions are excluded from collective bargaining.
7. Temporary employment agencies that send teachers, care personnel or others in public sectors will be banned.

TOWARDS AN INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE LABOUR MARKET

1. We want a fairer distribution of work between people of different gender identities. We do this by offering opportunities to redistribute paid and unpaid work between partners.
2. We will push towards a 30-hour working week with wage retention. This will also ensure that people have free time to spend on family and hobbies, it will combat burn-outs and create new jobs.
3. We will make childcare free for all parents.
4. Partner leave is aligned with maternity leave. All parents on leave are paid 100% income.
5. We are going to strongly enforce the rules that apply to the facilitation of, for example, breastfeeding or praying on the work floor.
6. We will introduce a menstrual leave.
7. Unpaid work that is still often seen as ‘women’s work’, such as informal care, housework or caring for children will be transformed to paid work. This is how we work on creating gender equality (2).
8. We work on accessible workplaces. We’ll do this by establishing the right to work from home if the nature of the work allows it. We’ll also have more (independent) support on the work floor so that people with disabilities can better participate as they see fit.
9. The failed Participation Act will be abolished: it does not lead to more job opportunities. Instead, we will focus on Social Development Companies, according to the FNV’s idea. In this way we can help people with a disability to find sustainable, suitable work with guidance and decent working conditions. These companies offer sheltered employment, guidance to work in the regular labour market and all kinds of supported employment in between.

NO PLACE FOR DISCRIMINATION

1. We hold discriminating companies criminally responsible and strengthen the instruments of the Inspectorate SZW. It will take stricter action against breaches of labour law and labour market discrimination. We will focus on naming and shaming, high fines and the discontinuation of subsidies and cooperation with governments.
2. The Diversity Rating System, DRS, is made operational by the Social and Cultural Planning Bureau and we’ll start a pilot in large municipalities. The government will also use the Diversity Rating System for companies and organisations with which it does business.
3. We will put an end to wage and income inequality between men and women by 2025. Companies that pay men more than women in the same job will be prosecuted.
4. We will abolish the Wajong wage dispensation scheme: employees with disabilities will be hired and paid as full employees. Production capacity must not be allowed to stand in the way of a living wage.
5. Undocumented workers who experience violence or coercion at work must be able to report this without running the risk of deportation.
6. The rights of migrant workers must be better protected. There will be better regulation of working conditions, allowances, minimum wage and housing standards. Temporary employment centres and employers will be closely monitored, and migrant workers will be better informed about their rights.
7. Labour migrants must have the same rights to pay and working conditions as workers with Dutch nationality.

SEXWORK IS WORK

1. The rights of sexworkers will be put on an equal footing with the labour rights of other self-employed workers and employees.
2. Sexworkers will have a say in and help determine policy on sexwork.
3. The licence required for self-employed sexworkers will be abolished. Sexworkers are given the opportunity to start a ‘one-person business’ at home. This will enable them to purchase services from third parties without criminalising them.
4. Sexworkers should never be obliged to share any special personal information or to register. The Wet Regulering Sekswerk (WRS) will be abolished – sexwork will be decriminalised.
5. We’ll simplify the licensing system for operators. If sexworkers want to do so, it must be easy to create workplaces where they can work with shared facilities and close to colleagues.

The age limit for sexwork remains at 18 and will not rise to 21.

BEING CERTAIN, EVEN IF YOU DON’T WORK (ANYMORE)

1. Personal development is in the interest of all of us. That is why we’ll put more money into training programmes for people without work. We allow employers from sectors with staff shortages to contribute to the training of good staff.
2. The quid pro quo, sanctions and repressive measures required for social benefits will be abolished. Waiting times for the provision of benefits are also substantially reduced.
3. The cost-sharing standard will be abolished in order to promote financial independence.
4. Incapacity for work is not a choice, and people who are incapacitated for work can judge for themselves what they are capable of. Medical examinations in the event of incapacity for work are no longer carried out by the benefit agency itself, but by independent doctors.
5. There will be a National Pension Fund to which collectivity is paramount and to which the self-employed will also be entitled. Pensioners will have a say in this Pension Fund and top salaries and wrong investments will be banned. In addition, we are indexing pensions: after all, pension funds now have enough money to pay out guaranteed pensions.
6. We’ll lower the state pension age to 65. However, it will still be possible to continue working. We are going to firmly combat the labour market discrimination on the basis of age. The so-called ‘pensiongap’, which many Surinamese-Dutch older people and older people with a migration background have to deal with, will be fixed.