Power resources and successful trade union actions that address precarity in adverse contexts: The case of Central and Eastern Europe

Fuente: Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT)
Salvato in:
Dettagli Bibliografici
Autori principali: Aurora Trif, Valentina Paolucci, Marta Kahancová, Aristea Koukiadaki
Natura: Artículo científico
Pubblicazione: International Labour Organization 2023
Accesso online:
Tags: Aggiungi Tag
Nessun Tag, puoi essere il primo ad aggiungerne!!
_version_ 1874525220583243779
author Aurora Trif
Valentina Paolucci
Marta Kahancová
Aristea Koukiadaki
author_facet Aurora Trif
Valentina Paolucci
Marta Kahancová
Aristea Koukiadaki
Aurora Trif
Valentina Paolucci
Marta Kahancová
Aristea Koukiadaki
contents Power resources and successful trade union actions that address precarity in adverse contexts: The case of Central and Eastern Europe Aurora Trif Valentina Paolucci Marta Kahancová Aristea Koukiadaki Is it possible for trade unions to fight precarity in an adverse global context? Although existing research suggests this is possible, there is limited understanding of the interplay of resources that enable unions to address precarity in deregulated markets. This study employs a power resource approach to investigate how unions overcome their external constraints. It draws upon 130 in-depth interviews with key informants across nine Central and Eastern European countries to investigate successful and unsuccessful union actions in sectors with differing external resources. In each sector, unions that mobilise their internal resources have been able to reduce various precarity dimensions, such as low wages, lack of voice, and irregular working time. The results reveal that unions whose objectives are based on convincing win–win discourses can make strides, acting as drivers of change in precarity patterns even in unfavourable conditions. Moreover, the study introduces a multi-dimensional conceptualisation of union success, identifying union actions that result in measurable improvements in precarity dimensions for all worker types. To deepen understanding of the role unions play in fighting precarity in adverse contexts, future research could investigate union actions that improve a wider range of precarity dimensions for all workers. 10.1177/00187267211020189 DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267211020189 publication.journalArticle
format Artículo científico
id ilo_995269248702676
institution Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT)
publishDate 2023
publisher International Labour Organization
spellingShingle Power resources and successful trade union actions that address precarity in adverse contexts: The case of Central and Eastern Europe
Aurora Trif
Valentina Paolucci
Marta Kahancová
Aristea Koukiadaki
Power resources and successful trade union actions that address precarity in adverse contexts: The case of Central and Eastern Europe Aurora Trif Valentina Paolucci Marta Kahancová Aristea Koukiadaki Is it possible for trade unions to fight precarity in an adverse global context? Although existing research suggests this is possible, there is limited understanding of the interplay of resources that enable unions to address precarity in deregulated markets. This study employs a power resource approach to investigate how unions overcome their external constraints. It draws upon 130 in-depth interviews with key informants across nine Central and Eastern European countries to investigate successful and unsuccessful union actions in sectors with differing external resources. In each sector, unions that mobilise their internal resources have been able to reduce various precarity dimensions, such as low wages, lack of voice, and irregular working time. The results reveal that unions whose objectives are based on convincing win–win discourses can make strides, acting as drivers of change in precarity patterns even in unfavourable conditions. Moreover, the study introduces a multi-dimensional conceptualisation of union success, identifying union actions that result in measurable improvements in precarity dimensions for all worker types. To deepen understanding of the role unions play in fighting precarity in adverse contexts, future research could investigate union actions that improve a wider range of precarity dimensions for all workers. 10.1177/00187267211020189 DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267211020189 publication.journalArticle
title Power resources and successful trade union actions that address precarity in adverse contexts: The case of Central and Eastern Europe
url https://researchrepository.ilo.org/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Power-resources-and-successful-trade-union/995269248702676