The European Union (EU) “is neither a new State replacing existing ones nor is it comparable to other international organisations” (European Communities, sine anno). Instead the idea behind it is a step by step approach to integrate organizational duties normally run by the nation states on a super national level. This includes the establishment of a European citizenship, to ensure freedom, security and justice, promote economic and social progress, and asserting Europe’s role in the world (European Communities, sine anno). For the first time in history the member countries voluntarily gave up parts of their sovereignty to become part of a supranational organization. The members agreed to the “creation of an area without internal frontiers” (European Communities, 2002), which means basically that capital and workforce is free to travel and settle without restriction within the borders of the European Union. That kind of freedom and the possibility of the council of the European Union to crate laws which replace their national counterparts (Fontaine, 1998) have increased the pressure on the stakeholders of labour relation to get to a European level as well. With this shift from the national towards the European view trade Unions has to change their way of work. The basic model most of the Western Europe used worked on a national or industry level where trade unions participated in the industrial democracy and collective bargaining. These unions where backed by also national union confederation which coordinated activities among and minimized conflict between confederated unions (Waddington, 2001, p. 449). Today this model may become more and more obsolete and trade unions has to struggle more and more to survive in a united Europe. So it’s the question which threats do trade unions have to face these days and which approaches have been made to solve these threats or perhaps which opportunities do trade unions have right now?
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Overview
3. The Role of Trade Unions within the European Union’s member countries
3.1 Union density
3.1.1 Individual characteristics
3.1.2 The Genth system
3.1.3 Union representatives’ access to the workplace
3.1.4 Partnership to political parties
3.1.5 Level of labour market centralization
4. European Collective Bargaining
4.1 National level
4.1.1 Industrial level
4.1.2 Partners on negotiations
4.1.3 Range of achieved agreements
4.2 European Level
4.2.1 Partners on negotiations
4.2.2 Range of achieved agreements
5. Problems Trade Unions have to face
5.1 Multinational companies
5.2 Member decline
5.2.1 High levels of unemployment
5.2.2 Workforce composition
6. Approaches solve trade unions’ current problems
6.1 Attempts to organize workforce
6.2 Social pacts
6.3 Trade Union mergers
6.4 Trade Union Confederations
Objectives and Themes
This work examines the evolving role, challenges, and adaptation strategies of trade unions in European Union member states. It investigates how factors like membership decline, multinational expansion, and shifts in labour market structures impact union effectiveness and explores whether new strategies can ensure their relevance.
- Determinants of trade union density across Europe.
- Mechanisms of national and European collective bargaining.
- Threats posed by multinational companies and membership erosion.
- Evaluation of social pacts, mergers, and confederation strategies.
Excerpt from the Book
The Genth system
Keeping in mind that event blue-collar worker tend to join unions more often than white collar workers there might be a paradox because the Scandinavian countries are used to have the lowest density of blue collar workers and the highest density of unionized workforce. So there must be another reason why those and Belgium form the group of high density countries. Some authors (among others Scruggs, 2002, Waddington, 2000, p. 319) believe that the so called Genth system may be the reason for the prospering Scandinavian and Belgian trade unions.
The system is named after the Belgian city of Genth where it came into existence in 1901 (Western 1997). It started on a very regional basis when the Ghent municipal authority began to co-finance the unemployment insurance of the local trade union. During the following years the system spread throughout Europe and was implemented as a national system in 1905 by France. Today national Genth systems only are used in Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Finland.
Though there might be differences among the Genth system’s organization in those four countries, they all follow the same principles and the result is pretty similar. Basically in countries which have those kind of system unemployment insurances are distributed via the trade unions. In reality that means except of Belgium which runs a compulsory union-run insurance system the Genth countries have voluntary union-run insurance funds against unemployment (Western, 1997). According to Western (1997) and Scruggs (2002) this gives trade unions the power to control the labour market. On the one hand as insurer unions set the terms of the conditions to receive unemployment help (e.g. unemployment because of work dispute included or excluded or the levels of setbacks an employee must accept). On the other hand unions take care that important union goals like collective bargained wages and conditions apply when workers are reemployed.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the context of European integration and the shifting landscape for industrial relations and trade union work.
Overview: Outlines the scope of the literature review, focusing on union density, collective bargaining, current threats, and organizational approaches.
The Role of Trade Unions within the European Union’s member countries: Analyzes the structural factors, such as the Genth system and workplace access, that influence trade union density.
European Collective Bargaining: Discusses the differences between national and European-level negotiations and the potential for a unified approach.
Problems Trade Unions have to face: Examines the impact of multinational corporations and the trend of declining union membership.
Approaches solve trade unions’ current problems: Evaluates organizational responses like social pacts, mergers, and the transformation of confederations.
Keywords
Trade Unions, European Union, Collective Bargaining, Union Density, Genth System, Social Pacts, Multinational Companies, Membership Decline, Industrial Relations, Labour Market, Workforce Composition, Trade Union Mergers, Industrial Democracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on the challenges trade unions face within the European Union, specifically regarding their changing influence, membership trends, and organizational strategies in a modernizing economy.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
Key areas include the determinants of union density, the nature of collective bargaining across national and European levels, the threat of multinational capital, and the viability of current adaptation strategies like mergers.
What is the primary objective of this study?
The goal is to determine which specific threats unions face in the current European landscape and to evaluate whether proposed solutions, such as social pacts or mergers, effectively address these threats.
Which scientific methodology is used?
The work employs a literature review based on existing OECD statistics and research studies to analyze trends and factors influencing trade union activity in EU member states.
What is addressed in the main body?
The body analyzes the variables affecting union density, the structure of collective bargaining, the pressures of multinational business operations, and the effectiveness of strategies like union mergers and social pacts.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Trade Unions, European Union, Collective Bargaining, Union Density, Genth System, and Labour Market Centralization.
What significance does the "Genth system" have in this analysis?
The Genth system is identified as a critical factor explaining higher union density in Scandinavian countries and Belgium, as it links unemployment insurance administration directly to union membership.
How do multinational companies affect trade union power?
Multinational companies impact unions by shifting capital across borders to bypass national regulations and leverage cheaper labour, which poses a significant challenge to the traditional, nationally-oriented bargaining models of trade unions.
- Quote paper
- Florian Leuchtenstern (Author), 2003, Trade Union in the European Union - Gewerkschaften in der Europäischen Union, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/23209
