Conditions for and obstacles to trade union cooperation in Europe.
This project aims to explain differences in transnational union cooperation in six sectors in Europe: Mining, Metal, Construction, Transportation, Banking/finance, and Health Care. The project is a comparative study, theoretically comparing the theory of country regimes with the theory of sectoral regimes, in combination with a network approach. The research questions are: 1. What similarities and differences in cooperation exist between these sectors? 2. Can these be explained by sectoral and country differences in IR, production processes, and strength of the trade unions’ respective sector organization? 3. How are the cooperative networks structured within these sectors? 4. What resources and priorities can explain differences in network positions and forms of collaboration?
The last two questions concern whether unions have the resources to set the agenda and drive collaboration or whether they have inadequate resources to be included. The empirical material will be collected through a questionnaire sent to trade unions in these sectors in Europe, supplemented with interviews with union representatives, observation at coordination meetings, and collection of joint documents. The study focuses on the following aspects of cooperation:
a) joint statements in the sectoral dialogue
b) training/education
c) exchange of information and coordination of collective bargaining
d) cooperation on member enrolment
e) trade union action
f) lobbying towards the EU.
Funded by: Swedish Foundation for humanities and Social Sciences (Riksbankens Jubileumsfond)
PI: Bengt Larsson, bengt.larsson@socav.gu.se
Project members: Bengt Furåker, Mattias Bengtsson, Kristina Lovén Seldén