Trade Union Federation for Professionals (VCP) publishes first AI guide for trade unions and works councils
As the first trade union federation in the Netherlands, the VCP publishes a guide on artificial intelligence (AI) where trade unions and the more than 10.000 works councils in the Netherlands can benefit from this. VCP policy officer Amerik Klapwijk: “AI plays a an increasingly important role for employees. Therefore, it is essential that employee representatives delve into AI and know what is happening within their happens within the organization or sector. In fact, the subject must be put on the table as early as possible. and works council members and union negotiators must engage more actively with AI in the workplace interfere in."
The guidance does not position trade unions and works councils as brakes on innovation, but as parties that ensure AI is deployed responsibly and in a humane manner. In this way, employee representation can become co-architects of how AI is deployed within the organization. By, among other things, steering attention to (re)training, further training and a
Lifelong learning, so that people can keep up with the digital transition. This aligns with the SER advisory report 'AI and Work', which recommends placing people and decent work at the center. To this end, the guidance provides an overview of the main principles, as well as practical cases and checklists.
AI in collective bargaining
At the trade union De Unie – affiliated with the VCP – they acknowledge the impact of AI. Advocate Emanuel Geurts: “In 2025, I concluded the first two collective labour agreements where AI was part of the terms, namely the De Algemene Bank CLA and the CLA for the insurance industry. By now, in every CLA proposal from De Unie AI explicitly placed on the agenda.”
According to Geurts, it is necessary for trade unions and works councils to actively steer the way organizations deal with AI. In recent years, he has spoken with major fintech companies.
who are established in the Netherlands regarding the impact of AI on the workplace. “It turns out that many employers in the Netherlands still have quite a few blind spots. After all, AI touches upon numerous topics such as job content, autonomy, workload, privacy, craftsmanship, participation, and human dignity. Trade unions and works councils must therefore really assert their influence as soon as possible.”
For organizations that are still only minimally engaged with AI, employee organizations can use the guidance to act as the initiator of the conversation. After all, timely exploration, acknowledgment, and adoption of the possibilities of AI also impact the competitiveness of enterprises and, consequently, the preservation of employment.
Translating legislation into practice
The AI Act, GDPR, Works Councils Act, Working Conditions Act, and the Civil Code provide important legal frameworks for shaping AI policy in organizations. Nevertheless, collective labour agreements and
Employee participation is needed to translate this into daily work practice. Klapwijk: “Then you have to think of topics such as training and the right to retraining, human
intervention, and including productivity sharing, recruitment and selection, and sectoral AI monitoring. Collective labour agreements are needed to make agreements truly concrete.”
Anchoring the human-centered deployment of AI and human oversight must also be embedded in the agreements. Klapwijk: “Decisions regarding employees, for example concerning their performance and their annual assessment, should not be left entirely to algorithms. There must always be clear human responsibility, scrutiny, and the possibility of correction. AI will only be successful if it not only yields efficiency but also strengthens the quality of work: more autonomy, craftsmanship, safety, health, and professional responsibility.”
Guidance widely applicable
The VCP guidelines 'AI and Trade Union Work' have been compiled by the VCP based on knowledge and experience from recent years. Several experts in the field of AI and employee representation have provided input and feedback. The guide is intended for all trade union negotiators and the approximately 100.000 active members of works councils in our country. Furthermore, the guide is highly useful for employers with employees, HR directors, and for organizations that do not (yet) have a works council or that are not required to have one but do have employee representation.
De The guidance is available on the VCP website..
