Why Trade Unions Seek to Coordinate Wages and Collective Bargaining in the Eurozone: Past Developments and Future Prospects

Economic causes of the Eurozone crisis: the analytical contribution of Comparative Capitalism

“…32-37;Johnston and Regan, 2015, p. 16). But given the weakness of wage bargaining institutions on the European level (Glassner and Pochet, 2011) and the de-synchronization of class struggles in Europe (Stockhammer et al, 2014, p. 8), this transnational coordination option has so far proved to be illusionary. Moreover, German workforces and their employers do not only compete with those of the Eurozone, but also with Chinese, Japanese and American ones (as well as production facilities in Eastern Europe) and are for this reason extremely unlikely to voluntarily risk their cost competitiveness, in particular given a world economy with feeble growth.…”

Trade Union Channels for Influencing European Union Policies

“…The results from both of these avenues of social dialogue are considered to be rather modest in terms of their effects on European workers (Clauwaert, 2011;Glassner & Pochet, 2011;cf. Keller & Weber, 2011;Léonard et al, 2011).…”

“…Together with industries that have undergone liberalization such as civil aviation and telecommunications, and construction because of the Posting of Workers Directive, they have had the greatest cause to collaborate across borders to influence EU policies, since they are directly affected by them (Glassner & Pochet, 2011;Müller et al, 2010;Pulignano, 2009). As noted by Bieler (2005), one can also assume that trade unions in sectors that are under transnational competitive pressure are more likely to be active in transnationally oriented cooperation and lobbying than those still oriented toward national markets (cf.…”

“…One such difference is that trade unions in manufacturing traditionally have a strong organization and resources nationally in comparison to unions in the services sector and those organizing professions (e.g., Bieler & Lindberg, 2011, p. 223). The metal industry may be the ideal case for this, and it is here that one finds the most far-reaching transnational coordination of activities between unions (Glassner & Pochet, 2011;Müller et al, 2010;Pulignano, 2009). Against this background, it seems important to also take sectoral differences into account when studying differences in how national trade unions in Europe approach EU policies.…”

“…Transnationally, the position of trade unions is also relatively strong, since European trade unions have institutionalized arenas in which to influence European Union (EU) policies (Bieler & Schulten, 2008;Clauwaert, 2011;Welz, 2008). European trade union cooperation is well developed and includes both sector and cross-sector activities such as exchanging information and collaborating on training programs, producing statements and mobilizing demonstrations, coordinating collective bargaining, and participating in a social dialogue with European employer organizations through the sectoral European Trade Union Federations (ETUFs) 1 and the cross-sectoral European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) (Glassner & Pochet, 2011;Traxler et al, 2008).…”