Abstract
This chapter examines sex-worker unionization projects in Germany and the Netherlands. The rationale for examining them together, and apart from other countries in western Europe, is to be found in a number of points. First, the two countries exhibit greater similarities in the way that their political systems have dealt with regulating prostitution (through legalization). Second, the industrial relations systems of both countries are still largely based upon postwar settlements of social democracy in terms of co-determination (Germany) and the ‘polder’ system (the Netherlands), whereby employment relations are quite heavily regulated and sectoral bargaining — underpinned by state action and law — predominates. Third, both countries have seen not only bona fide attempts to construct sex-worker unionization projects but also the failure of these projects. This chapter considers the experiments in unionizing prostitutes through Ver.di in Germany and the Red Thread union in the Netherlands.
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2016 Gregor Gall
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Gall, G. (2016). Germany and the Netherlands. In: Sex Worker Unionization. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137320148_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137320148_5
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-67257-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-32014-8
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)