The Future of European trade unions: searching strategic levers

1. The Future of European trade unions: searching strategic levers Guy Van Gyes WOW Trade Union Seminar, Billund, 01.02.2013

2. Well, it’s sundown on the unionAnd what’s made in the U.S.A.Sure was a good idea’Til greed got in the way1983, Bob Dylan, Read more: http://www.bobdylan.com/us/songs/union-sundown#ixzz2JXe93ccb

3. Overviewpresentation • NO future of what? • Always a future • Challenges • Logic of membership • Logic of influence • Strategies • Ideas – instruments - organisation

4. What is Europeantradeunionism?

5. Definition • Free association of workers • Workersdecidefreely to bemember or not • Independancefrom the employer • Defenseof commoninterests • Durable (notad-hoc)

6. Representative • Economicdemocratisation - Institutionalisation • Recognition – powersattributed in the interest of the company, economy, general interest. • Intermediatingorganisations(Muller-Jentsch) • Organisations in the civil society betweenon the one hand business and politics and on the other hand the lifeworld of the workers, membersand rank-and-file • Theyarticulate and aggregate the interests of diverse groups of workers and social classes (milieux)

7. Social welfare rights Economic citizenship Reducedincome inequality Limiting working time Enhancingsocial cohesion Link to the European social model EUROPEAN SOCIAL MODEL SOCIAL DIALOGUE PROCESSES TRADE UNIONS ROLES • Joint-governance • Workplace democracy • Wage bargaining • Statutoryregulation • Social concertation • Social movementunionism • Workplacerepresentation • Dividing the pie (productivity gains) • Working timereductions • Social pacts

8. Diversity in unity • Industrial relations context • Organised– disorganised • State intervention – voluntarism • Conflictual or not • Cleavages • Religious-political • Occupational-sectoral • Radical - Moderate

9. Disorganised, non-conflictual Low organised, low conflict, low state Medium organised, high state, high conflict High organised, state intervention, low conflict High organised, medium conflict, low state

10. Always a future

11. Employmentrelationship = inherentlycontradictions ECONOMIC EXCHANGE POWER RELATIONSHIP

12. Paradox of a brightfuture Six countries: BE, DE, UK, IT, NL, FR Trust in trade union European Values Study 15 to 29 yearsold, workers, Belgium

13. Trade union membership in Europe: 1970-2010 Union membership 100=1970

14. Key findings trade union membership in Europe • 25 to 30% of the employees • Large differences between the Member States • Lower density in large countries • Trend clearly downward: 10-15 years ago one in 3, now 1 in 4 • Dramatic losses Eastern Europe • Considerable losses: AT, IE, PT, DE, EL • Limited or stable: BE, DK, FIN, FR, IT, NL, ES, SE

15. Two contrasting groups of union membership probability in Europe Weighted ESS survey data

16. Trade union participation: lessons from research • No problem of ‘sympathy’ nor ‘legitimacy’ • Matter of social interaction/exchange • Being asked? • Coverage of union at the workplace • Flexible, peripheral workforce • Key moment – entrance in the labour market – more blurred transition • No choice for ever; but deliberate choice => importance of retention management

17. Trade union participation: lessons from research • Foremost: matter of instrumentality • Wat want workersfrom a union • Support foranindividualproblem • Improvement of job quality (labourconditionsfirst) • Efficiency: obtainingsomething, more thanonce • Dissatisfactionwithworksituationnot a necessary nor a sufficientcondition • Complex cost-benefitcalculation • Union can do somethingaboutit and notsomebodyelse (uniquesellingposition) • Union canoften do somethingaboutit • My membership/participation is a usefulcontribution to the factthat the unioncan do somethingaboutit (free-ridingproblem)

18. Challenges

19. Twosides of the samecoin Logic of influence:How we defendourinterests? How we try to influence the counterparty? Collectivebargaining Information and consultation at the workplace – co-determination Politicallobbying and campaigning Individual service and help (mutualaid) Socialmovement Logic of membership/particpation: How we assemble the workers? How we built and strengthen the rank-and-file? Sensibilisation Organising Mobilising

20. Logic of membership: individualisation Secularisation Upskilling EXPRESSIVE INDIVIDUALISM Self-determination Hedonism GENERATION Y: WORK TO LIVE TALENT DEVELOPMENT – EMPOWERMENT INTRINSIC BESIDES EXTRINSIC JOB MOTIVATIONS De Belgische vakbondsbasisUitdagingen en oplossingen

21. Colouring of social classes

22. Logic of influence • Globalisation • Financialisation • => Neo-liberalhegemony

23. Changes in working lives • Growing flexibilisation • Peripheral workforce • Variable pay • Non-universal, occupational social security • Work intensification and work pressure • Performance management – control culture • Combination pressure (work – family life) • Job insecurity • Burn-out • More transition (20s – 40s) De Belgische vakbondsbasisUitdagingen en oplossingen

24. Words – Logos Actioninstruments – Praxis Organisation Strategic levers

25. Logos – Collectiveaction frame • Frame = interpretative schemata thatsignifies and condenses the ‘world out there’ byselectivelypunctuating • ‘Bridging schemata’ • European – transitionmanagement to a more durable society • ‘Noteverything is forsale’ • LOHAS: Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability • Left is onlysuccesfullwhen a positive, newalternative is put forward

26. Instruments – logic of membership • New instrumentalities – union services • Want it all - Smart combiningwork and life – organisingtransitions • Wants to be in the driverseat – organisingself-efficacy • Fun job/toomuchfun – mental health issues • Restructuring all the time – skilldevelopment; warning (careercoaching) • Loves to talk - personalapproach/transparancy/let have a say • Time too short – quick service • Always choice – noonestandardpackage

27. Instruments – logic of membership • Institutions matter • Unemploymentinsurance; role in new risk management • Low fee (subsidisingbyothers) • Monopolisticpresence at the workplace • Defend public service • Centralisedcollectivebargaining

28. Instruments – Logic of influence • Multi-level: transnationale level(cf. Eurozone) • Multi-stakeholder context; Conflict between Old (economy) – New (ecology) • Fromindustrial to innovationeconomy

29. Transnational wage policy • Coordination exist already (only without the union and narrow-based; German wage leadership) • Taking wages out of competition = solidaristic wage policy loonstructuur • “uses a deliberate, centrally force to counteract … the centrifugal force of the market, i.e. its tendency towards wage differentiation • Demand-driven economic growth

30. Workplacerepresentation: focus on ‘workingsmarter’ not ‘harder’ LESS MORE Workorganisation Labourconditions Trade Union Trade Union Employer Employer Bargaining Dialogue Change management in a business strategygeared to innovation

31. Conceptualdifference

32. Being more a Movementorganisation • A complex and formalorganisationthat sets its goals in accordancewith the preferences of a socialmovement or countermovement. • Anideologicalprogramme: anorganisationaldiscoursewhereby ‘good’ arguments are formulated to question a given order. • Twopillars • A representationalorganisation: a set or bodies and rules, formalised in statutes, to structure the ‘representative’ decision-makingprocess. • Professional or administrativeorganisation: administrativeapparatus; a not-for-profitorganisation of union professionals.

33. STORY OF LEGO 1930s: a carpenterthatmakes woorden toys Now??? ESTABLISHING COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE IN A LARGE NETWORK ORGANISATION

34. Organisationaldevelopment • Movementor representativeorganisation • Empowerment • Project-based • Demarcated in time; social; learningexperience • ‘limited’ forms of activism (task, specialism) • Communityunionism

35. Organisationaldevelopment • Professional organisation • Transnationalisation • Result-based management: evaluatingresultsnotprocess • Social resource management • Innovation management: beyondcreativity to implementation • Mid-term planning

36. TO CONCLUDE • NEEDS ARE THERE • IT IS ABOUT RE-INVENT YOURSELF BY STICKING TO YOUR CORE VALUES • NO SOLIDARITY WITHOUT A SENSE OF COMMUNITY

37. TO CONCLUDE

38. SUCCESS IS 99% FAILURE(Honda quote; Cf. lego history)