Labor Divided in the Postwar European Welfare State

This book explains how the success of attempts to expand the boundaries of the postwar welfare state in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom depended on organized labor's willingness to support redistribution of risk and income among different groups of workers. By illuminating and explaining differences within and between labor union movements, it traces the historical origins of 'inclusive' and 'dual' welfare systems. In doing so, the book shows that labor unions can either have a profoundly conservative impact on the welfare state or act as an impelling force for progressive welfare reform. Based on an extensive range of archive material, this book explores the institutional foundations of social solidarity. - Provides a major reconsideration of organized labor's role in the development of the postwar welfare state - Offers a comprehensive history of the British and Dutch welfare states, tackling all the major social insurance risks (old age, unemployment, sickness and disability) on a chapter-by-chapter basis - Entirely original research based on a wealth of untapped primary resources

1. Labor and the development of the postwar welfare state 2. Labor divided 3. The development of old age pensions in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom 4. The development of unemployment insurance in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom 5. The development of disability insurance in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom 6. Union solidarity and the use of social security for early retirement purposes in The Netherlands 7. Conclusions and implications.