Leiding en leden in de vakbeweging, gevolgd door: Naschrift door Ph. van Praag

Samenvatting

A discussion in two parts: (1) A critique by J. J. Voogd of "Enkele kanttekeningen bij het probleem van leiding en leden in de vakbeweging" door Ph. van Praag (De Sociologische Gids, Dec. 1955). Regret is expressed that Van Praag has not included a discussion of the book "The government of British trade unions" by Joseph Goldstein (London, 1952), which deals esp with the educational function of the labor unions, which looms so large in the article. Van Praag views the change of emphasis from the eschatological to the pragmatic an inevitable process in the development of the labor unions. Such change can, indeed, be noted in the Dutch unions; the question is whether it has benefitted the workers and has been conducive to healthy social development. Voogd answers this question in the negative; in any case, the unions ignore it. (2) Van Praag's reply. Voogd offers no proof that the labor unions by-pass questions of social welfare. Unions have actually pioneered in the discussion of such questions. The book "De mens en zijn werk" (Man and His Work, 1954) by Hogewind offers statistics showing that wages and material benefits loom most large in the demands of the workers; the unions merely follow their membership. As for better HR, they can be improved only by individual initiatives, not by any orders from the unions. I. Langnas.