The Evolution of Union Politics for Atypical Employees: A Comparison between German and Austrian Trade Unions in the Private Service Sector

Abstract

Since the early 1980s, most European unions have faced substantial decline in membership levels. Although the majority of unions were reluctant to organize atypical employees until recently, some of them have begun recruiting atypical employees as one possible solution to tackle the membership losses. Comparing the largest service sector unions in Austria and Germany, the GPA and Verdi, the article addresses three major problems unions are confronted with in organizing atypical employees in general, and dependent self-employed workers in particular. Following a most-similar-country design, the article examines whether and how the strategic responses to this problem by the two unions differ.