The Europeanization of Trade Unions in the Countries of the Eastern Enlargement. Perspectives for Interest Representation by Trade Unions and for Trade Union Solidarity within the EU

Funded by the Hans Böckler Foundation, Duration: September 2012 until August 2014, Head of project: Heiko Pleines
 

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Abstract

The research project has analysed the integration of trade unions from the countries of the EU’s Eastern enlargement into EU governance structures. The main aim was to assess how far trade unions from the member states of the Eastern enlargement are integrated into EU governance structures and how related cooperation is assessed.

As part of the research project the Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen together with project partners in the six countries under study conducted a total of over 150 interviews and have produced detailed case studies of individual trade unions.


Background

In the wake of the Eastern enlargement ten post-socialist countries have joined the EU in 2004 and 2007. Since then trade unions from these countries have a chance to participate in EU governance processes. However, due to structural weaknesses this is a difficult task. Trade unions from the new member countries are clearly underrepresented at the EU level.

At the same time trade unions of the newer member states have an ambivalent relation to European workers’ representation as they are faced with a dilemma: Employees in the new member states can profit from policies which are perceived negatively by trade unions in the old member states. This concerns, first, EU regulation of labour relations and related policy fields, which often lies below the national standards in old member states (where they are criticized as social dumping), but EU regulation can actually help to raise standards in new member states (where they are then greeted by trade unions). The same dilemma arises, secondly, in cases when multi-national companies move production from old to new member states.


Research question

The research project examined the integration of trade unions from Central East European countries into EU governance (as a follow-up to a similar study conducted in 2007). It analysed integration at the EU level, in EU works councils and in interregional trade union councils. The main aim was to assess how far trade unions from the member states of the Eastern enlargement are integrated into EU governance structures and how related cooperation is assessed.

Based on this assessment the research project analysed which strategies the trade unions follow in their EU-related activities and how they develop and discuss these strategies internally.


Research design

The project covered the biggest trade unions from the six biggest member states which joined during Eastern enlargement (namely Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia). The project included all general national trade union associations plus all national branch associations for metals, mining, retail trade/commerce and banking/finance.

Interviews with trade union representatives have been conducted in the first half of 2013. They consisted of a questionnaire and a complementary guided interview. For selected trade unions (one per country) detailed case studies have been conducted. Next to interviews they will be based on reports from relevant actors and EU institutions, journalistic reporting, expert analyses, opinion polls and statistical data.

A more detailed description of the research design can be downloaded here.

Results

An overview of the results has been published as:

Christin Landgraf, Heiko Pleines (eds): Interest Representation and Europeanization of Trade Unions in EU Member States of the Eastern Enlargement, ibidem publishers 2015