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Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (Netherlands)
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid; SZW) is the Dutch
ministry of social affairs: it is occupied with employment
, relations between employers and employees, the system of social security
, and emancipation. The current minister
is Henk Kamp
.
The ministry is currently headed by one minister and one state secretary. The ministry's main office is located in The Hague
. The civil service is headed by a Secretary General and a vice-secretary general, who head a system of three directorates general:
Furthermore, there is an inspector general responsible for the inspection employment and income, who supervises the local centres for employment and income.
. Before that the limited social policy had been the responsibility of the ministry of Economic Affairs. After the Second World War the ministry became much more important, as the Netherlands transformed into a welfare state
.
In 1982 the responsibility for labour market policy was transferred to the ministry from the ministry of Economic Affairs in order to enlarge the portfolio of vice-prime minister Joop den Uyl
. Emancipation also became a responsibility of the ministry.
Politics of the Netherlands
The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...
ministry of social affairs: it is occupied with employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
, relations between employers and employees, the system of social security
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
, and emancipation. The current minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
is Henk Kamp
Henk Kamp
Henricus Gregorius Jozeph "Henk" Kamp is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment since October 14, 2010 in the Cabinet Rutte. He was the Commissioner of the Netherlands Antilles from January 1, 2009 until October, 10...
.
Responsibilities
The ministry is responsible for five fields of policy:- Employment and the labour market
- Social security
- IncomeIncomeIncome is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
-policy - Relations between employers and employees
- Occupational safety and healthOccupational safety and healthOccupational safety and health is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. The goal of all occupational safety and health programs is to foster a safe work environment...
Organisation
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. The civil service is headed by a Secretary General and a vice-secretary general, who head a system of three directorates general:
- Relations between employers and employees and international affairs
- Occupational safety and Health and social insurances
- Labour market policy and social welfare
Furthermore, there is an inspector general responsible for the inspection employment and income, who supervises the local centres for employment and income.
History
The ministry was founded in 1933, at the height of the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Before that the limited social policy had been the responsibility of the ministry of Economic Affairs. After the Second World War the ministry became much more important, as the Netherlands transformed into a welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
.
In 1982 the responsibility for labour market policy was transferred to the ministry from the ministry of Economic Affairs in order to enlarge the portfolio of vice-prime minister Joop den Uyl
Joop den Uyl
Johannes Marten den Uijl, known as Joop den Uyl was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from May 11, 1973 until December 19, 1977....
. Emancipation also became a responsibility of the ministry.
Ministers
Since 1989 the following politicians have been minister of Social Affairs and Employment- 2010-now Henk KampHenk KampHenricus Gregorius Jozeph "Henk" Kamp is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment since October 14, 2010 in the Cabinet Rutte. He was the Commissioner of the Netherlands Antilles from January 1, 2009 until October, 10...
(VVD)- 2010-now Paul de KromPaul de KromPaul de Krom is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment in the Cabinet Rutte serving since October 14, 2010. He previously served as a Member of the House of Representatives from January 30, 2003 until October...
(VVD, state secretary)
- 2010-now Paul de Krom
- 2007-2010 Piet Hein DonnerPiet Hein DonnerJan Pieter Hendrik "Piet Hein" Donner is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He is the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Cabinet Rutte since October 14, 2010....
(CDAChristian Democratic AppealThe Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
)- 2007-2008 Ahmed AboutalebAhmed AboutalebAhmed Aboutaleb is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He has been the Mayor of Rotterdam since January 5, 2009...
(PvdA, state secretary) - 2008-2010 Jetta KlijnsmaJetta KlijnsmaJellejetta Klijnsma is a Dutch politician. As a member of the Labour Party she has been an MP since June 17, 2010. She focuses on matters of culture, senior citizens, disabled people and medical ethics...
(PvdA, state secretary)
- 2007-2008 Ahmed Aboutaleb
- 2002-2007 Aart Jan de GeusAart Jan de GeusAart Jan de Geus is deputy secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. He is a CDA Dutch politician and was the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment of the Netherlands in the first, second and third cabinet Balkenende.-Personal Life and Career:De...
(CDA)- 2004-2007 Henk van HoofHenk van HoofHendrikus Andreas Lambertus "Henk" van Hoof is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He was the State Secretary for Defence in the Cabinet Kok II serving from August 3, 1998 until July 22, 2002...
(VVD, state secretary) - 2002-2004 Mark RutteMark RutteMark Rutte is a Dutch politician who has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 October 2010, as well as Minister of General Affairs in the Rutte cabinet...
(VVD, state secretary) - 2002 Khee Liang PhoaKhee Liang PhoaKhee Liang Phoa, born in Rotterdam on May 3, 1955, is a Dutch politician, secretary of state for emancipation and family affairs in the first Balkenende cabinet ....
(LPF, state secretary)
- 2004-2007 Henk van Hoof
- 2000-2002 Willem VermeendWillem VermeendWilhelmus Adrianus Franciscus Gabriël Vermeend is a Dutch former politician.-References:...
(PvdA) - 1998-2000 Klaas de VriesKlaas de Vries (politician)Klaas George de Vries is a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the PvdA. De Vries has had a long political career: he has been a member of parliament for more than 15 years, he has been a minister, and was involved in forming both Kok cabinets.-Career before politics:After attending a...
(PvdA)- 1998-2002 Hans HoogervorstHans HoogervorstHans Hoogervorst is a Dutch political and business figure. He is chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board.-Career:...
(VVD, state secretary) - 1998-2002 Annelies VerstandAnnelies VerstandAnnelies Elisabeth Verstand-Bogaert is a Dutch politician.-References:...
(D66, state secretary)
- 1998-2002 Hans Hoogervorst
- 1994-1998 Ad MelkertAd MelkertAdrianus Petrus Wilhelmus "Ad" Melkert is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as chair of the parliamentary party and Minister of Social Affairs and Employment for the social-democratic PvdA. He led the PvdA to a historic low in the contentious 2002 general elections, which were won...
(PvdA)- 1996-1998 Frank de GraveFrank de GraveFranciscus Hendrikus Gerardus de Grave is a Dutch politician.-References:* at parlement.com...
(VVD) - 1994-1996 Robin LinschotenRobin LinschotenRobin Linschoten is a former Dutch politician.-References:...
(VVD)
- 1996-1998 Frank de Grave
- 1989-1994 Bert de VriesBert de VriesBerend de Vries is a Dutch former politician.-References:* at www.parlement.com...
(CDA)- 1989-1993 Elske ter Veld (PvdA)
- 1993-1994 Jacques WallageJacques WallageJacques Wallage is a Dutch politician of Jewish descent. He has been the mayor of the city of Groningen from October 1, 1998 until June 25, 2009....
(PvdA)