Post-socialist trade unions

1. Post-socialist trade unions Simon Clarke

2. Overview • Trade unions under state socialism • Trade unions and the collapse of state socialism • Constraints on post-socialist trade unions • Post-socialist unions in the workplace • Higher level trade unions • Conditions of Union Success • Post-socialist trade unions and employers • Post-socialist industrial relations • Future prospects

3. Trade Unions Under State Socialism • Trade unions an integral part of the Party-state • Perform state functions • Productivity and labour discipline • Social welfare • Monitor management on behalf of Party • Integrated into the Party-state apparatus • Parallel structures • Subordination to the Party • Democratic centralism

4. Trade unions and the collapse of state socialism • Declaration of trade union independence • Independence of Party and state: NGOs • Renunciation of democratic centralism • Voluntary affiliation to higher bodies • Democratic election of officers • Primary organisations control dues • Transformation of trade union functions • From state monitoring agency • To representative of members’ interests

5. Constraints on post-socialist trade unions • Institutional reproduction first priority • Politically vulnerable to loss of legal rights and confiscation of assets • Higher bodies have to retain affiliation (and income flows) from lower bodies • Dissociation of levels of trade union • Each level has to seek institutional reproduction at its own level

6. Post-socialist unions in the workplace • No immediate impact in the workplace • Trade unions remained part of management apparatus - personnel management and social welfare functions • Management used trade union to lobby government • Industrial conflict transformed into political demands • Not only in public services and state enterprises

7. Higher level trade unions • Trade unions sought to prove their importance for the state • Retention of state functions: social insurance, health and safety etc. • Social partnership: trade union involvement in tripartite structures • Price of social partnership: trade union commitment to social peace

8. Conditions of Union Success • Trade union strategy most effective where: • Weak/unstable governments • Worker mobilisation played a role in collapse of state socialist system • Trade unions able to mobilise protest movements when government rejects tripartism • National governments seek EU accession

9. Post-socialist trade unions and employers • Survival of trade union in workplace depends on collaboration with employers • Trade union and employer make common cause against government • Highest trade union density in public sector • Lowest in new private sector • Trade unions promote formation of employers’ organisations

10. Post-socialist industrial relations • Politicisation of trade unionism • Incorporation of trade unions into tripartite structures of consultation • Creation of employers’ associations as trade union allies • Worker activism diverted into political channels: lobbying and symbolic protests • Low levels of industrial action

11. Future prospects • Politicisation of trade unions was a structurally constrained strategic choice • EU integration, WTO limit scope for collaborative lobbying • Global competition undermines trade union collaboration with employers • Increased union-busting • Increased workplace industrial conflict • Likely increase in trade union militancy alongside decline in trade union organisation