Trade Unions as Intermediary Organizations

Abstract

In advanced capitalist societies trade unions are under structural constraints to pursue a policy of intermediation between the opposing interests of labour and capital. The article traces the historical lines of the evolution from 'classical' to 'intermediary' unionism, especially in regard to union structure, interest representation at plant and industry level, institutionalization of class conflict and union involvement in economic policy (section I). A typology of unionism is introduced and three variants of intermediary union policies are described (section II). Finally, the internal processes of intermediary unions are analysed in terms of prerequisites of collective actions, selective processes in interest representation, alternative and complementary agencies to unions (section III).