Trade union membership trends in Europe and the Baltic region

Transcription

1 Meeting 2014, 19 November 2014, Tallin Trade union membership trends in Europe and the Baltic region Dr. Heiner Dribbusch WSI, Düsseldorf

2 I Preliminary remark: Membership figures are always only part of the story 2

3 Power of unions depends on Structural power based on economic situation labour market workplace power Organisational power based on union membership Institutional power based on union rights bargaining system 3

4 Unions can best influence their organizing skills and strategies... their mobilizing capacity and: Unions are architects of their own future They have choices even under adverse circumstance 4

5 II The European picture 5

6 Union density & bargaining coverage (~ 2010) Source: ICTWSS and national statistics, compilation WSI Note: data mostly as of

7 III The Baltic region 7

8 The BASTUN union landscape BASTUN covers about 21 trade union confederations These confederations cover some 450 affiliated unions (without the huge number of Polish company unions) The confederations work within different economic, legal and societal frameworks These frameworks heavily influence both membership and bargaining coverage 8

9 Union membership differs... - between countries - between trade union confederations - and within confederations 9

10 Union density & bargaining coverage (~ 2010) Source: ICTWSS, compilation WSI Note: data mostly as of

11 Change in net union density ~ Source: ICTWSS, compilation WSI Note: data mostly as of

12 Change in membership Note: AC grew by 46% due to merger 12 Source: Union statistics, compilation WSI

13 Different developments within confederations: DGB (Germany) and TCO (Sweden) as examples (for both confederations only a selected number of affiliates is shown) 13

14 DGB: membership development (indexed 2004=100) Das verknüpfte Bild kann nicht angezeigt werden. Möglicherweise wurde die Datei verschoben, umbenannt oder gelöscht. Stellen Sie sicher, dass die Verknü in % DGB IG BAU IG BCE IG Metall ver.di GEW GEW 106 IG Metall 93 IG BCE 86 ver.di IG BAU DGB 88 Quelle: DGB 14

15 Change in TCO membership (indexed 2010=100) 15 Source: Union statistics, compilation WSI

16 IV Major trends 16

17 Unions have difficulties to follow the shifts in employment from large industrial workplaces to comparatively small workplaces in private services Difficult territories: construction, private transport, private security, IT industries etc. Contested territories: retail, health care, public administration, education Favourable environments: public transport, utilities, large manufacturing sites 17

18 Ghent system seems to favour white collar and specialised unions (depending on regulation) Baltic states: unions struggle with a difficult institutional and political environment 18

19 Last but not least A priority on organising makes a difference 19

20 V Organizing the unorganized 20

21 Employees organise if they believe this improves their situation and they can expect support in case of conflict But a union can only be strong if it has members (in particular where it lacks legal support) The first step: where there is no union - there is no membership so either unions must get to where employees or employees must take the initiative and organise themselves 21

22 The challenge Enable employees to collectively defend their interests against the background of... different industrial relations frameworks different historical legacies different union identities 22

23 Thank you for listening! Dr. Heiner Dribbusch Senior researcher Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI) Düsseldorf Germany 23

24 Publications on German unions in English and Russian Dribbusch, Heiner; Birke, Peter The DGB trade unions since the crisis : developments, challenges, strategies Dribbusch, Heiner; Birke, Peter Trade unions in Germany : organisation, environment, challenges Dribbusch, Heiner; Birke, Peter Ob'edinenie Nemeckich Profsojuzov (ONP) posle krizisa : tendencii, vyzovy, strategii Dribbusch, Heiner; Birke, Peter Profsojuzy v Federativnoj Respublike Germanija : organizašija, ramočnye uslovija, vyzovy 24