Decentralization, Union Power and Contention Episodes: the Case of Dacia Workers

In this article we investigate a case of successful union organizing in one automotive plant in Romania. We argue that in order to be able to explain why the union succeeds in defending workers’ rights we need to consider both the structural and the agency dimensions that condition labor’s capacity to effectively organize. We find that unions still organize at the plant level and do so effectively when they adopt an adversarial stance towards management. Our analysis of the case of the Dacia plant in Romania shows that the union there has made use of a diverse repertoire of protest activities in order to push for its demands. While striking proved to be a winning strategy for the union in the recent years, we also find that it is a strategy that is used less and less because of the shifting economic and political environment in which the plant is embedded

Trade union strategies in the age of austerity: the Romanian public sector in comparative perspective

This article examines the impact of the economic crisis and its aftermath on collective bargaining, by comparing reactions to austerity policies of trade unions in healthcare and education in Romania. We develop an encompassing theoretical framework that links strategies used by trade unions with power resources, costs and union democracy. In a tight labour market generated by the massive emigration of doctors, unions in healthcare have successfully deployed their resources to advance their interests and obtain significant wage increases and better working conditions. We also show that in the aftermath of the crisis, healthcare trade unions have redefined their strategies and adopted a more militant stance based on a combination of local strikes, strike threats and temporary alliances with various stakeholders. By comparison, we find that unions in the education sector have adopted less effective strategies built around negotiations with governments combined with national-level militancy

Minimum wages in 2023 : annual review

Aquesta publicació s'elabora a partir de les contribucions de cadascú dels membres nacionals que integren la Network of Eurofound Correspondents. Pel cas d'Espanya la contribució ha estat realitzada per l'Oscar Molina (veure annex Network of Eurofound Correspondents)The 2023 annual review of minimum wages was prepared in the context of unprecedented inflation across Europe. While this led to hefty increases in nominal wage rates in many countries, it was in many cases not enough to maintain workers' purchasing power. Based on developments over the last decade, this report shows that, overall, minimum wage earners in nearly all countries saw their purchasing power rising, the gap between their wages and average wages narrowing, and to some degree growth exceeding labour productivity development

Negotiating agency and structure : trade union organizing strategies in a hostile environment

This article investigates a case of successful union organizing in one automotive assembly plant in Romania. The authors argue that in order to explain why the union succeeds in defending workers’ rights there is a need to consider both structural and agency aspects that condition labor’s capacity to effectively defend their interests. The findings show that the union at the Romanian plant has made use of a diverse repertoire of protest activities in order to defend its worker constituency. The authors also discuss why as of late protests are less and less used by the union in response to the shifting economic and political environment in which the plant is embedded. They argue that a closer look at the strategy of the Romanian union and the path it has taken in the past decade provides a better understanding of the conditions for union success in an economic, legal, and political environment that has become increasingly hostile toward organized labor. In this sense, the article points to the more general situation unions in Central and Eastern Europe have found themselves in recent years

Branchenanalyse Automobil- und Automobil- zulieferindustrie in Mittelost- und Südosteuropa : Vor der Transition zur Elektromobilität

Die Transition zur Elektromobilität verläuft in Mittelost- und Südosteuropa langsamer als in Deutschland. Es wird erwartet, dass die mittelost- und südosteuropäischen Automobilwerke länger an der Verbrennungsmotortechnologie festhalten werden. Die Regierungen der mittelost- und südosteuropäischen Staaten gehen mit dem Thema Elektromobilität unterschiedlich um. Insbesondere Polen und Ungarn, aber auch die Slowakei, versuchen, sehr aktiv Investi- tionen in Batteriewerke und die Produktion von Komponenten für Elektroantriebe anzuziehen. Polen und Ungarn waren im Hinblick auf den Aufbau von Standorten chinesischer und koreanischer Unternehmen sehr erfolgreich. Dies trägt zu den insgesamt positiven Erwartungen im Hinblick auf die Beschäftigungseffekte der Elektromobilität bei. Eher passiv verhalten sich die tschechische, die rumänische und die serbische Regierung. Tschechien verfügt allerdings über eine starke Automobilzulieferindustrie, die um eine Reihe gut etablierter Automobilwerke geclustert ist. Diese Stärke der Industrie verbunden mit anhaltend niedrigen Arbeitskosten macht das Land weiterhin attraktiv für Investitionen. Die rumänische Automobilzulieferindustrie ist hingegen immer noch auf besonders arbeitsintensive und stark auf Lohnkostenvorteile ausgerichtete Produkte spezialisiert. Aufgrund der angespannten Arbeitsmarktlage und der steigenden Löhne sind Verlagerungsdrohungen in rumänischen Automobilzulieferunternehmen keine Ausnahmeerscheinung. Die serbische Automobilzulieferindustrie selbst ist relativ jung und noch fast vollständig von einfachen und arbeitsintensiven Produkten dominiert. Insgesamt verändert somit die Transition zur Elektromobilität nicht wesentlich die Handlungsbedingungen der Gewerkschaften. Keine der mittelost- und südosteuropäischen Gewerkschaften entwickelt dementsprechend eigene Strategien zum Umgang mit der Elektromobilität. Die Handlungsbedingungen bleiben für die Gewerkschaften insgesamt schwierig und es gibt nur sehr geringe Erfolge bei der Organisierung der neuen Automobilzuliefererwerke. Branchenweite Koordination der betrieblichen Organisationen ist in allen mittelost- und südosteuropäischen Ländern (mit einer gewissen Varianz) relativ schwach ausgeprägt

Supporting regions in the just transition : Role of social partners

Aquesta publicació s'elabora a partir de les contribucions de cadascú dels membres nacionals que integren la Network of Eufound Correspondent. Pel cas d'Espanya la contribució ha estat realitzada per l'Oscar Molina, i així consta a la pàgina 37This report investigates the involvement of social partners in the just transition to a climate-neutral economy, with a particular focus on the territorial just transition plans. These plans aim to support the regions most negatively affected by the just transition by assisting workers to retrain, relocate and find other jobs, and also support industries that need to phase out fossil fuels or other greenhouse gas-intensive activities. The role and input of the social partners in these plans and their views on the just transition are explored. An analysis of social dialogue practices and examples of collective agreements shows the range of topics covered by the social partners. The report also investigates the role of the energy crisis in the just transition and how it has contributed to delays in the implementation of territorial just transition plans in certain Member States