The Food Workers' Union ( nl, Voedingsbond, VB) was a

general union A general union is a trade union (called ''labor union'' in American English) which represents workers from all industries and companies, rather than just one organisation or a particular sector, as in a craft union or industrial union. A gene ...

for agricultural and food production workers, in the Netherlands. The union was founded in 1980, with the merger of the

Industrial Union of Agriculture and Food The Industrial Union of Agriculture and Food ( nl, Algemene Bedrijfsbond Voedings- en Genotmiddelen, ABVG) was a trade union representing workers in the farming and food processing industries in the Netherlands. The union was founded in 1970, when ...

and the

Catholic Union of Agriculture, Food and Tobacco The Catholic Union of Personnel in Agriculture, Food and Beverage, Tobacco Processing, Catering and Related Industries ( nl, Katholieke Bond van Personeel in de Agrarische, Voedings- en Genotmiddelen-, Tabakverwerkende, Horeca- en Aanverwante Bedrij ...

. These unions had previously been affiliated to 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) and

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), respectively, but the two federations were in the process of merging to form the

Dutch Federation of 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), to which the new union affiliated. The Food Workers' Union was the first to be formed in this way, with others following over the next two years. In 1989, the union's members in the hospitality sector transferred to the

Catering Union The Catering Union ( nl, Horecabond) is a trade union representing workers in the hospitality sector in the Netherlands. The union was founded in 1919, with the merger of the Dutch Central Union of Personnel in the Hotel, Cafe and Restaurant Busin ...

.{{cite book , last1=Breij , first1=Bert , title=Twee miljoen leden , date=2008 , publisher=Vakbondshistorische Vereniging , location=Amsterdam , isbn=978 90 71562 06 8 , pages=228, 235 , url=https://www.vakbondshistorie.nl/wp-content/uploads/Twee_miljoen-leden_boek.pdf , accessdate=22 October 2020 By 1997, the union had 64,014 members, of whom 74% worked in food production, 21% in agriculture, and the remainder in hospitality. In 1998, the union merged with 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 ...

, the Services Union, and the Transport Workers' Union, to form the

Allied Union The Allied Union ( nl, Bondgenoten, Bond) was a general union representing workers in the Netherlands. History The union was founded in 1998, with the merger of the Food Workers' Union, the Industrial Workers' Union, the Services Union, and the ...

Presidents

:1980: Cees Schelling :1984: Greetje Lubbi :1992: Paul Andela

References

Agriculture and forestry trade unions Food processing trade unions Trade unions established in 1980 Trade unions disestablished in 1998 Trade unions in the Netherlands