Voraussetzungen internationaler Solidarität: Zur Diskussion um einen europäischen Generalstreik

The extent of economic and social disruptions in Europe since the outbreak of the crisis has awakened numerous expectations that the employee organisations in European countries should organise common counter measures. International union solidarity and transnational mobilisation, including a ‘European general strike’ have been up for discussion. The actual activities themselves have been way behind the discussion. This article examines the question of why transnational action is so difficult to organise. Starting from some discussion on the concept and basis for particular union solidarity and based on new approaches in trade union research, preconditions for successful mobilisation are explored. These pre-considerations turn out to be useful in the application to the Europe-wide campaign against the guideline for the deregulation of dock work and the protest against the Bolkestein Directive. At the same time, the successful examples serve as a point of reference, to reveal the lack of indispensable preconditions for transnational mobilisation in the Euro crisis. Some less demanding protest forms remain as a perspective for European union solidarity.