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Post-communist state measures to thwart organized labor: The case of Romania

Author

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  • Mihai Varga

    (Freie Universitaet, Berlin)

  • Annette Freyberg-Inan

    (Technical University Darmstadt The Netherlands)

Abstract

This article supplements the literature on post-communist trade unions with an account of how state measures can affect union strength in post-communist Europe. The authors focus on the case of Romanian trade unions, which is exceptional in post-communist Europe in that it is possible to rule out lack of protest capacity as a cause for weakness of policy influence: Romanian unions have maintained a high protest capacity throughout the transition. However, this protest capacity has translated into influence over national economic policy and labor-relevant legislation only throughout the 1990s, and much less so in the 2000s and beyond. The authors examine the reasons for the trade unions’ diminishing influence over national policies and observe a refinement of government measures to render protest ineffective. Key measures include a reduction of the unionized labor force, especially in protest-prone sectors, the de-coupling of plant-level protests from national mobilizations, the granting of selective concessions dividing organized labor, and, more recently, efforts to employ legal changes and state agencies to apply pressure on union leaders.

Suggested Citation

  • Mihai Varga & Annette Freyberg-Inan, 2015. "Post-communist state measures to thwart organized labor: The case of Romania," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 36(4), pages 677-699, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:36:y:2015:i:4:p:677-699
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X14548770
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Haney, Michael & Shkaratan, Maria, 2003. "Mine closure and its impact on the community : five years after mine closure in Romania, Russia and Ukraine," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3083, The World Bank.
    2. Christopher J. Coyne & Peter T. Leeson, 2004. "The Plight of Underdeveloped Countries," Cato Journal, Cato Journal, Cato Institute, vol. 24(3), pages 235-249, Fall.
    3. Ionica SOARE & Otilia MAN & Silviu COSTACHIE & Adrian NEDELCU, 2010. "Viticultural Potential And Vine Tourism In Romania," Revista de turism - studii si cercetari in turism / Journal of tourism - studies and research in tourism, "Stefan cel Mare" University of Suceava, Romania, Faculty of Economics and Public Administration - Economy, Business Administration and Tourism Department., vol. 10(10), pages 68-74, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Brouthers, Lance & Văduva, Sebastian & Tiron-Tudor, Adriana & Burtic, Daniel, 2023. "The Transformation of the Romanian Economy Through Privatization and Internationalization," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 28(2), pages 265-292.

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