This title was first published in 2002: Although the economic integration of the European Union is far-advanced, its social dimension remains under-developed. Often there is uncertainty about, and lack of information on, the economic, social and legal situation of employees in the other EU countries. This study investigates this situation. It acknowledges the term "Europeanization" as being in no way clearly defined, but offers an interpretation of the Europeanization of industrial relations as a socio-political process, with the main focus the change within the plant and organization. Industrial relations in Germany are used as a point of reference against which selected aspects of industrial relations in France, the UK, and Italy are compared and contrasted. Specific areas of study include: workplace and company organization; collective bargaining; trade unions and employers' associations; and government regulations and legislative standardization.
'The collection deserves to be made accessible to readers, and the publisher should be congratulated on maintaining a steady stream of high-quality publications on the European subject.' - Steve Jefferys, Industrial Relations Journal
This title was first published in 2003.The completion of the Single Market and the launching of the European Monetary Union during the 1990s have been accompanied by processes of socio-economic restructuring and major changes in the structure and forms of governance within the dynamic multi-level EU system. The patterns of reaction and adaptation of national industrial relations systems to these EU - developments are discussed under the heading of "Europeanisation" of national IR-systems. The Maastricht and Amsterdam Treaties have extended - to a certain degree - the scope for legislative and coordinated activities by the EU in the fields of social, labour - market and employment policies. These basic legal and political decisions have created new avenues for the development of transnational industrial relations and the establishment of new arenas for EU - level interaction, including social dialogues between the social partners. .
The relationship between the national and international has been central in the debate on the impact of globalisation on national patterns of employment relations. While some industrial relations researchers in recent years have put forward evidence not of convergence, but rather of continuing national diversity in employment relations, others see a complex power-sharing interplay emerging for which Europe is the laboratory. This ground-breaking book asks: Do EU or European industrial relations exist? What characterises EU industrial relations and their development? What are the differences between EU industrial relations and national industrial relations? Twelve outstanding authorities from seven countries discuss the theme from a variety of perspectives. Originally presented at an international and interdisciplinary research workshop held at the Faculty of Law at Lund University in November 2007, the essays probe a range of highly topical and important legal and industrial relations issues and developments, including the implications of the epochal and much-debated Laval and Viking cases from the European Court of Justice. The focus is on the EU dimension of industrial relations, common to the Member States, and not on comparative European industrial relations. The authors raise and discuss such crucial issues as the following: the power relationship and interactions between the social partners within the framework of the social dialogue; growing problems of posting of workers, low wage competition, and ‘social dumping’; approaches to creating an EU legal framework for transnational collective agreements; the right to take industrial action in order to achieve collective agreements; the fundamental asymmetry between the scope of action of players in companies and territories affected by restructurings; information, consultation and worker participation; potential benefits of increased tripartite co-operation between the social partners and governments; compatibility of the Swedish or Nordic system with the four freedoms and its eligibility as a European model; and issues of private international law arising from collective actions with transnational implications. An appendix includes relevant EC legislation and the ECJ opinions in Laval and Viking. EU Industrial Relations vs National Industrial Relations explores an emerging and still inchoate realm of law that is heavily fraught with implications for the near future of social relations, not only in Europe but worldwide. Labour lawyers and policymakers will greatly appreciate its precise stocktaking, its insightful analysis, and its well-informed recommendations on how to proceed in the realm of practical law.
This book explores the prospects for the emergence of a distinctly European pattern of industrial relations, in which the European-level organisations representing employers and trade unions gain in importance vis-a-vis their national organisations. In particular, the impact of the 'Social Chapter' to the Maastricht Treaty is considered. The study
First published in 1985 Industrial Relations in Europe examines the development of trade unions and their relations with the employers and employers’ organisations in a number of Western European countries in the 1980s. The shared characteristics of these systems are common heritage of political democracy, market economies, the right of employers to manage the business for which they are responsible and the right of employees to belong to unions which are free to bargain and to seek political goals which will advance the interests of their members. With case studies from Denmark, Germany, France, Great Britain, Norway etc. the volume showcases the major structural changes brought about by technological, economic and social factors which had significant implications for trade unions and traditional patterns of industrial relations. A major response was the erosion of centralized processes of decision making and a return to the individual, local initiative and an increased interest in entrepreneurship. This book is a must read for scholars of political economy, industrial economy and economics in general.
In the wake of the financial and economic crisis, the trade unions face unprecedented challenges. While the European powers that be are blatantly coordinating the advent of national and European austerity policies, entailing drastic consequences for workers and the weaker members of society, the trade unions are set to mobilize their forces. The authors describe and illustrate various facets of this new situation. What role is played by economic governance? Does co-determination still have a chance? Is belief in market forces already firmly entrenched or can ways still be found of strengthening social rights? Do the European umbrella organisations pay obeisance to the official European bodies or are they mobilizing to bring about a serious change of course, to find the road to an alternative Europe?
The author here examines the different relations between governments and unions in to fifteen western European nations. Using a combination of rational choice theory and historical analysis he traces the development of industrial relations and looks at the causes of these differences since the 1870s, seeking long-term historical explanations for more contemporary institutions. - ;In some western European countries trade unions and employers' organizations share responsibility with government for maintaining order and efficiency in the labour market as a matter of course. In others such a role is seen as an unacceptable interference with either the free market or the prerogatives of the state, or both. How can we explain these differences? How enduring are they? Do they matter? In the 1970s there seemed to be a growing popularity for the first approach, leading to the explosion of interest in neo-corporatism; did all that evaporate during the ostensibly neo-liberal 1980s? Colin Crouch tries to answer these questions with reference to fifteen western European nations. Using a combination of rational choice theory and historical analysis he traces the development of industrial relations systems in these countries from the 1870s to the present. He ends by seeking explanations for differences further back in time, showing that longer-term historical explanations of contemporary institutions are more necessary than most exercises in policy analysis prefer to accept. -
`Everyone concerned over the construction of a truly social Europe will learn much from this thoughtful and probing study." - Professor Colin Crouch, Istituto Universitario Europeo In this comprehensive overview of trade unionism in Europe and beyond, Richard Hyman offers a fresh perspective on trade union identity, ideology and strategy. He shows how the varied forms and impact of different national movements reflect historical choices on whether to emphasize a role as market bargainers, mobilizers of class opposition or partners in social integration. The book demonstrates how these inherited traditions can serve as both resources and constraints in responding to the challenges which confront trade unions in
This open access book discusses transnational trade union cooperation in Europe – its forms, focuses, conditions, and obstacles. It provides an overview of existing trade union cooperation and includes detailed analyses of two specific questions: the debates on statutory minimum wages and the Posting of Workers Directive. Drawing on empirical research, the authors take a comparative approach, considering national industrial relations regimes as well as individual sectors. With the ongoing processes of integration in Europe, it has become increasingly important for unions to cooperate with regard to employers and EU institutions. The authors illustrate the interconnections between national and European industrial relations, and explore the process of European integration in labour markets. Illustrating the potential for and difficulties involved in deepening trade union cooperation across Europe, this work is a vital read for trade unionists, researchers and students interested in European trade unionism and labour markets.
