The Beauty Union ( nl, Mooi) is a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

representing workers in the hairdressing, beauty and wellness industries in the Netherlands. The union was founded on 16 October 1932, as the Dutch Catholic Union of Barbers and Hairdressers, also known as "St Cosmas". It affiliated to the

Dutch Catholic Trade Union Federation The Dutch Catholic Trade Union Federation ( nl, Nederlands Katholiek Vakverbond, NKV) was a national trade union centre bringing together Catholic trade unions in the Netherlands. The federation was established in 1925, as the Roman Catholic Worke ...

(NKV). It initially had only 179 members, and by 1939 had grown to only 232. It was banned by the Nazi occupiers during World War II, but was reformed in 1945, and then began to grow, membership reaching 1,117 in 1947. In 1975, the union renamed itself as the Hairdressers' Union. While most of the NKV affiliates merged with equivalent unions in the

Dutch Confederation of Trade Unions The Dutch Confederation of Trade Unions ( nl, Nederlands Verbond van Vakverenigingen, NVV) was a Dutch social-democratic trade union. History The NVV was founded in 1906 as a merger of fifteen smaller unions, as a result of the inability of the p ...

(NVV), its hairdressers were part of the large

Industrial Workers' Union NVV The Industrial Workers' Union NVV ( nl, Industriebond-NVV, IB-NVV) was a general union focused on workers in heavy industry in the Netherlands. The union was founded on 1 January 1972, when the General Dutch Industrial Union of the Metal and Ele ...

, and the Hairdressers' Union preferred to remain independent. In 1980, it transferred to the NKV's successor, the

Federation of Dutch Trade Unions The Federation of Dutch Trade Unions ( nl, Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging, FNV) is a national trade union centre in the Netherlands. In addition to member unions, workers in many sectors can join the FNV directly. History The FNV was founded ...

(FNV). In 1981, the political scientist Paul Jekkers was asked to draw up a contract for workers in the industry, but impressed the union sufficiently that he was elected as its president. He tried to negotiate a merger into the Services Union, but found that that union was in a poor financial position and would not be able to maintain the union's existing level of organisation. Despite this, he took the union's membership to 3,500 by 1989, when the

Industrial Workers' Union The Industrial Workers' Union ( nl, Industriebond, IB) was a general union focused on workers in heavy industry in the Netherlands. The union was founded in December 1980, with the merger of the Industrial Workers' Union NVV and the Industrial Wor ...

decided to withdraw from the trade, and its 500 hairdressers transferred over. By 1999, the union had 7,695 members. The union changed its name in about 2000, recognising that many hairdressing salons were also offering other beauty treatments.

References

External links

*{{official website, https://fnvmooi.nl/ Hairdressers' trade unions Trade unions established in 1932 Trade unions in the Netherlands