Solidarity at Last? International Trade Unionism Approaching the Millennium

Abstract

The analysis of supranational union organization has been a neglected area for many years. However, the construction of trading blocs and the accelerating internationalization of capital has increased the motivation for labour movements to cooperate, and provided some new opportunities for such efforts. In order to assess the prospects for success, five different approaches to analysis of international unionism are distilled from a fragmented literature, evaluated critically, and the subsequent insights are applied to the prospects for the future. The assessment concentrates on the European scene, where the pace of change and the efforts to construct a continental industrial relations area have been most in evidence. Conclusions are mixed: while there are some real advances and areas of improved outlook for international unions, there are growing challenges from management and a double-edged shift to an enterprise focus in many areas of activity.