Regional/Cultural Day
Dag van de Arbeid
The trade unions march in Amsterdam, and the demands include a higher minimum wage (about 13 euros per hour), an end to the exploitation of workers, and the protection of workers' rights. The march is both celebration and protest, and the signs are in Dutch and English. The Netherlands has one of the highest rates of trade union membership in Europe, and the Dutch labor model (the polder model) is based on consensus between employers, employees, and the government. The polder model is named after the polders (reclaimed land below sea level), because the Dutch had to cooperate to keep the water out, and this tradition of cooperation extends to every aspect of Dutch life.