Labor Divided in the Postwar European Welfare State
The Netherlands and the United Kingdom

This book looks at the success of attempts to expand the boundaries of the postwar welfare state in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Dennie Oude Nijhuis (Author)

9781107035492, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 24 June 2013

268 pages, 2 b/w illus. 9 tables
23.5 x 15.7 x 2 cm, 0.5 kg

'Oude Nijhuis's book is an essential contribution to our knowledge about welfare state formation … His most intriguing and eye-opening findings concern opposition to reform within organized labor - an issue that is virtually missing from the literature as an important empirical phenomenon or even a theoretical possibility. In Britain, most notably, it played a crucial role in stunting the welfare state. The research is entirely original, based as it is on a wealth of untapped primary sources, including archival sources from both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. For this reason, even readers well versed in the literature on the British welfare state will be in for surprises. Those interested in the Netherlands, including Dutch readers, will find a deep trove of new knowledge about welfare state formation in that country as well.' Peter Swenson, Charlotte Marion Saden Professor of Political Science, Yale University

This book explains how the success of attempts to expand the boundaries of the postwar welfare state in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom depended on organized labor's willingness to support redistribution of risk and income among different groups of workers. By illuminating and explaining differences within and between labor union movements, it traces the historical origins of 'inclusive' and 'dual' welfare systems. In doing so, the book shows that labor unions can either have a profoundly conservative impact on the welfare state or act as an impelling force for progressive welfare reform. Based on an extensive range of archive material, this book explores the institutional foundations of social solidarity.

1. Labor and the development of the postwar welfare state
2. Labor divided
3. The development of old age pensions in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom
4. The development of unemployment insurance in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom
5. The development of disability insurance in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom
6. Union solidarity and the use of social security for early retirement purposes in The Netherlands
7. Conclusions and implications.

Subject Areas: Trade unions [KNXB2], Political economy [KCP], Comparative politics [JPB], Politics & government [JP]