The CNV was founded on 13 May 1909, in
Arnhem as a federation of several Christian unions. It was founded in reaction to the socialist
Dutch Confederation of Trade Unions (NVV), which was founded in 1906. The CNV was more moderate than the NVV. It opposed the idea of
class struggle and instead oriented itself towards a
corporatist model of the economy. It was an interconfessional union, intended to represent both
Protestant and
Roman Catholic workers. In 1912, however, the Roman Catholic bishops spoke out against interconfessional unions. All Roman Catholics left CNV and founded a separate Roman Catholic union, the RKWV "
Rooms-Katholieke Werklieden Verbond" (Roman Catholic Workers' Union). The CNV orientated itself towards the Protestant
Anti-Revolutionary Party, with which it formed the Protestant
pillar. After
World War II, the corporatist model, which the CNV advocated was introduced in the Netherlands, this was combined with a strong
welfare state. Unions received more influence in Dutch politics: the CNV became part of the
Social-Economic Council an advisory board of government composed of representatives from unions, employers' organisations and independent scientists. Because of the depillarisation of Dutch society and the rising political polarisation between left and right, the three major unions, the socialist NVV, the Protestant CNV and the
Dutch Catholic Trade Union Federation (NKV) began to open talks in order to found one single federation of Dutch unions. In 1974 the CNV left those talks. In 1976 the NVV and NKV merged to form the
Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV), which was led by
Wim Kok. ==Activities==