Nordic Metal Trade Unions on the Move: Responses to Globalization and Europeanization

Despite economic globalization, the liberalization of European markets and rapid technological changes, membership density in the trade unions in the metal sector in the Nordic countries remains exceptionally high compared to any other European region. The coverage of collective agreements has also...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of industrial relations 2006-03, Vol.12 (1), p.29-47
Main Author: Andersen, Søren Kaj
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bargaining
European Union
Europeanization
Globalization
Labor Market
Labor unions
Labour relations
Metal industry
Norway
Policy Making
Regulation
Technological change
Trade unions
Unemployment
Unions
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Summary:Despite economic globalization, the liberalization of European markets and rapid technological changes, membership density in the trade unions in the metal sector in the Nordic countries remains exceptionally high compared to any other European region. The coverage of collective agreements has also remained intact, and unemployment is low by European standards. Nevertheless, the Nordic metal unions face a number of dilemmas. They all recognize a need to engage more actively in international, and especially European-level, policy-making, including the coordination of bargaining processes. Yet they fear that European regulation may undermine their national bargaining autonomy. They also recognize the need for a common Nordic position with regard to European policies; but differences in industrial structures and traditions of labour market regulation, alongside different national relationships to the European Union and Economic and Monetary Union, represent obstacles to closer cooperation between the Nordic metal federations. Moreover, a lasting problem is the winning of the support of their members for European and global activities.
ISSN:0959-6801
1461-7129
DOI:10.1177/0959680106061366