Frequently asked questions
Who is De Unie?
Who is De Unie? De Unie is a trade union. We negotiate on behalf of employees about wages, holidays, training and much more and record those agreements in a collective labor agreement. We do this for more than 2 million workers in many companies throughout the Netherlands. We also help employees with all kinds of questions about their work, income and career. De Unie negotiates in more than 200 collective labor agreements in the Netherlands and has been doing so for more than 100 years. In addition, offers De Unie also individual (legal) representation of interests to its members in the field of work, income and career. If you want to read more about this, check out: https://www.unie.nl/jouw-werk-en-inkomen
What is DigiC?
DigiC is an approach in which the collective bargaining table is supported by an external independent research agency in order to reach good agreements about your employment conditions. In this approach, all employees (you do not have to be a member of a trade union) are given the opportunity to participate in the discussion and to help decide on their new collective labor agreement. The approach was developed by the trade union De Unie in collaboration with research agency Innervoice, but is offered to all trade unions involved in a collective labor agreement. The agency works for the collective bargaining table. Read more about the process at: www.digic.nl
Why was DigiC developed?
Fewer and fewer people are joining trade unions. Particularly when it comes to the collective labor agreement, we see that fewer and fewer employees are motivated to participate in the discussion through union membership. For this reason, the Social Economic Council (SER), in which all trade unions and employers' organizations are represented, issued a unanimous recommendation in 2013 stating that non-members should also be involved in the formation of the collective labor agreement. De Unie has taken this advice to heart and is now applying the DigiC process to more and more collective bargaining tables.
Who is InnerVoice?
InnerVoice is part of the successful market research agency MWM2; specialist and market leader in the field of market research, research panels and communities and the fastest grower in the Dutch research market in the last 10 years. Where MWM2 focuses on listening to customers, InnerVoice focuses entirely on listening to employees. InnerVoice works for numerous clients, nationally and internationally, in all industries.
InnerVoice focuses on employee research, both quantitatively and qualitatively. They use their own high-quality crowd tech technology. InnerVoice specializes in employee and employment conditions research, employee communities and panels.
How does the DigiC process work?
The process starts with panel discussions. Anyone can register for this at the research office. During these interviews, a panel leader will discuss employment conditions with the participants. Where are the preferences? which themes are important? Etc. The results of the panel discussions are shared and discussed with the collective labor agreement parties. The research agency then prepares a questionnaire (survey) based on these results and sends it to all employees. Everyone can now give their opinion on the themes that emerged in the panels. The results of the survey will of course be shared with everyone and will be central to the discussions and negotiations about your new collective labor agreement.
As soon as a negotiation result is reached at the negotiating table, this result will also be presented to all employees. This survey is also conducted by the research agency. The result is shared with the collective bargaining table. For union De Unie the outcome of this survey is leading in the decision to finalize the collective labor agreement. Also see www.digic.nl
Why should I participate?
In order to be able to make good and appropriate agreements about your terms of employment, it is important to know what you consider important. The more employees participate, the better the negotiators at the collective labor agreement table know what they need to agree on for a good collective labor agreement/social plan. Your opinion matters!
Is participation anonymous?
Absolute. The Innervoice research agency is MOA certified and meets the highest ISO standards in the field of research (ISO 27001 and ISO 20252). The research activities are therefore always GDPR-proof and guarantee your anonymous participation.
How can I participate in the DigiC study?
You will receive an invitation from your employer to register for the panel discussions. Are you a member of De Unie, then you will also receive it via De Unie. After the panel discussions, a survey will be held among all employees. The survey will be sent directly to you by the independent research agency InnerVoice. Your employer has only made your e-mail address available once to the research agency for this research (no one else has access to your data).
Can I participate in the survey during working hours?
Yes, we have agreed with VodafoneZiggo that it is possible to participate in the survey during working hours.
Can I also participate in the survey and/or poll in writing?
No, unfortunately this is not possible. Participation in the survey and poll is only possible via PC/mobile/tablet.
What happens to the research results?
In the first place will be the research results for the trade union De Unie form the basis for collective bargaining. The results are made available to all employees, employer, works council and social partners at the employer. De Unie uses the results in combination with her many years of experience with and knowledge of employment conditions to formulate her proposals for the negotiations. The research results therefore form an important starting point during the negotiations.
Do I have to be a union member to participate?
No, you do not have to be a member of a union. If you work at VodafoneZiggo, your opinion, your vote, fully counts.
How do I know what De Unie think of the negotiation result?
De Unie will indicate with the negotiation result how the negotiation result relates to the research results from the DigiC process and to what is customary in the market and how you as an employee can weigh / assess this for yourself. In addition, as an employee you have the opportunity to attend information sessions De Unie and you can always contact the negotiator of De Unie via vodafoneziggo@unie.nl.
How does the poll on the negotiation result work?
As soon as a negotiation result has been reached, this result will be presented to all employees by research bureau InnerVoice by means of a poll/referendum. This will be done in the same way as with the survey. In the poll, the negotiation result is presented and you are given every opportunity to inform yourself (or have yourself informed) about the content of the negotiation result. After that you can cast your vote. If the majority of the votes cast votes in favor of the negotiation result, then De Unie finalize the collective agreement.
Is DigiC also used for the social plan?
Yes, in addition to the collective labor agreement, DigiC is also used for social plan discussions. As a result, all employees also have a voice on this important subject.
How is DigiC funded?
The activities of the research bureau (panel discussions, survey and voting) are facilitated by the employer. And the costs of these activities are borne by the employer.
How are the unions compensated for their efforts?
The trade unions involved only receive income from contributions from members and a so-called employer's contribution (as is agreed between trade unions and employers in almost all companies and sectors in the Netherlands). The agreements on the employer's contribution are laid down in the collective labor agreement and at VodafoneZiggo amount to EUR 40.000 per year per trade union.
