CNV-Connectief, formally called Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond-Connectief, formed at the end of last year following a merger of CNV-Onderwijs -a Dutch 56,000 member-strong teachers’ union- and CNV-Publieke Zaak, a trade union representing 84,000 Dutch civil servants and healthcare workers.

SPELC is the French teachers’ trade union ‘Federation Nationale des Syndicats Professionnels de l’ Enseignement Libre Catholique’ and brings together about 15,000 French teachers.

CESI’s profile as a trade union confederation strengthened in the field of education, healthcare and public service more generally

Following the positive vote by the Board, which was witnessed by both SPELC Secretary General Luc Viehé and CNV-Connectief President Helen Adriani, CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “We already represent numerous public sector trade unions in the EU arena. Now, the accession of CNV-Connectief and SPELC further strengthens CESI’s profile and role as an EU-level trade union confederation in the field of education, healthcare and public services more generally. We will make sure to bring added value to SPELC and CNV-Connectief through the successful work we perform in Brussels already today.”

Successful membership applications complement successful Board meeting overall

The successful membership applications by CNV-Connectief and SPELC complemented a Board meeting that was very successful overall. Following presentations by Mr Heeger on the successful work, evolution and achievements of CESI’s General Secretariat and its Europe Academy*, Commissions and Trade Councils** and youth organisation ‘CESI Youth’ during the past six months, the Board adopted important decisions in relation to CESI’s budget, structure and future work priorities. The next meeting of CESI’s Board will take place on December 1 2015.

More information about SPELC is available here. Follow this link to access further information about CNV-Connectief.

* The CESI Europe Academy is CESI’s internal capacity-building body. Working within the context of the General Secretariat, it implements usually two subject-specific projects per year that culminate in a large-scale conference open to all CESI member organisations. The next Europe Academy conference will take place in Dublin next week (June 24-26) and address the topic ‘Better anticipate changes and restructuring in public administrations in Europe: the role played by the information and consultation of employees’.

**CESI’s Commissions and Trade Councils are its sector-specific principal forums for debate and action, composed of representatives of its member organisations active in the respective sectors. They usually meet twice per year.