Largest trade union
The Algemene Onderwijsbond (General Union of Education) is the largest trade union in the Dutch education sector. It looks after the interests of all personnel in the education sector (membership is open to teachers, administrative and ancillary staff), ranging from pre-primary education to higher vocational education. Workers at universities are not organised through AOb.

Currently, the AOb has approximately 87,000 members. A total number of nearly 340,000 people are employed in the Dutch education sector; 130,000 of whom belong to one union or another. The AOb organises approximately 60% of the trade unionists in the education sector. The AOb is politically independent. It is member of the Dutch Trade Union Confederation FNV.

The AOb has a double objective:

• to preserve and to improve the salaries and working conditions of all personnel in the education sector.
• to improve the quality of education and promote professionalism.
   

The AOb defends and promotes the interests of its members collectively and individually. The collective interests are promoted through bargaining, negotiations and regular consultations with education authorities nationally and locally. The individual rights are defended through legal support at the request of individual members. To that end the AOb has approximately 40 legal specialists operating at its headquarters in Utrecht and in five regional offices throughout the country.
Negotiations, consultations and advocacy activities are part of a broader programme of influencing politicians and public opinion. Its expertise enables the AOb to exercise considerable influence.
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AOb's international activities
The AOb is affiliated to Education International (EI) and the European Trade Union Committee for Education  (ETUCE the European Regional Structure of EI). It is represented in the executive committees of EI and ETUCE and is actively involved in committees, working groups and conferences. Through EI and ETUCE the AOb is connected to education unions worldwide.
International solidarity, based upon reciprocity and equality between cooperating partners, is one of the cornerstones of the organisation. Therefore the AOb opts to be an active partner in the international arena through the implementation of various development cooperation programmes, multiple awareness raising and mobilizing campaigns (Education for All, Global Campaign for Education, Stop Child Labour) and through support of trade unions and their members in countries which suffer under suppression of fundamental human and trade union rights.
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