European Trade Unions in the 21st Century: The Future of Solidarity and Workplace Democracy

Trade unions in Europe face a range of cross-cutting challenges, including the near-universal contraction in union membership, the decline of traditionally highly unionized blue-collar industries, and the rise of automation, microprocessing, and digitalization. This makes any collectivist vision of society and the notion of solidarity difficult to sustain, raising tough questions for trade unionists, policy-makers, and researchers regarding the future of trade unions. This interdisciplinary volume includes contributions that consider the prospects for union revival across a range of cases, including by focusing on the pursuit of legal remedies and the opportunities associated with the network society to defend the interests of workers.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 319 pages
Publication date: 30 March 2023
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Europe's trade unions are grappling with a multitude of complex challenges. These challenges encompass the widespread decline in union membership, the simultaneous decline of traditionally unionized blue-collar industries, and the increasing prevalence of automation, microprocessing, and digitalization, which has made it more cost-effective for employers to invest in machines rather than employ human workers. Furthermore, the breakdown of the traditional contract of employment and the rise of precarious work have further transformed the nature of work. Taken together, these factors make it challenging to uphold a collectivist vision of society and the solidarity upon which trade unionism is based. This presents a series of challenging questions for trade unionists, policymakers, and researchers alike regarding the future of trade unions, which are considered to be the oldest and largest civil society movement in Europe.

The contributions in this volume explore various strategies for union revival across different cases, including by focusing on pursuing legal remedies and leveraging the opportunities presented by the network society to safeguard the interests of workers. This interdisciplinary volume features contributions from researchers with diverse backgrounds and disciplines, including political science, sociology, law, and business studies. The volume is particularly relevant to researchers and practitioners working in these fields.

In conclusion, Europe's trade unions are facing a critical period of transformation, characterized by declining membership, industry decline, and technological advancements. The contributions in this volume provide valuable insights into the prospects for union revival and offer strategies for defending workers' interests in the evolving landscape of work.

Weight: 452g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030882877
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022