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Swords of justice in an age of retrenchment? The role of trade unions in welfare provision1

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  • Alison Johnston

    (Oregon State University, USA)

  • Andreas Kornelakis

    (University of Sussex, UK)

  • Costanza Rodriguez d’Acri

    (London School of Economics, UK)

Abstract

The recent financial crisis has once again highlighted the precarious situation of trade unions: austerity measures have targeted unions’ traditional institutional ally, the welfare state, as well as their last organizational stronghold, the public sector. The purpose of this article is to examine how trade unions have responded to reductions in welfare provision, due either to reform or to state inaction, and how state retrenchment can provide a silver lining for unions via the enhancement of unions’ bargaining responsibilities. We argue that, apart from retrenchment and privatization, there is a third road to welfare reform which involves unions’ ‘collectivization’ of social risks through the take-up of marginalized policies in bargaining agreements. Presenting evidence from a most-likely (the Netherlands) and least-likely (Greece) case, we identify instances where unions have acted as pivotal political substitutes to the state in the realm of welfare provision.

Suggested Citation

  • Alison Johnston & Andreas Kornelakis & Costanza Rodriguez d’Acri, 2012. "Swords of justice in an age of retrenchment? The role of trade unions in welfare provision1," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 18(2), pages 213-224, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:treure:v:18:y:2012:i:2:p:213-224
    DOI: 10.1177/1024258912439148
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gian Primo Cella, 2012. "The representation of non-standard workers. Theory and culture of collective bargaining1," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 18(2), pages 171-184, May.
    2. Hacker, Jacob S., 2004. "Privatizing Risk without Privatizing the Welfare State: The Hidden Politics of Social Policy Retrenchment in the United States," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 98(2), pages 243-260, May.
    3. Jelle Visser, 2012. "The rise and fall of industrial unionism," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 18(2), pages 129-141, May.
    4. Crouch, Colin, 2000. "The Snakes and Ladders of Twenty-First-Century Trade Unionism," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 16(1), pages 70-83, Spring.
    5. James P. Allan & Lyle Scruggs, 2004. "Political Partisanship and Welfare State Reform in Advanced Industrial Societies," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 48(3), pages 496-512, July.
    6. Soskice, David W, 1993. "Social Skills from Mass Higher Education: Rethinking the Company-Based Initial Training Paradigm," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 9(3), pages 101-113, Autumn.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mads Peter Klindt, 2017. "Trade union renewal through local partnerships for skill formation," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 23(4), pages 441-455, November.
    2. Jayeon Lindellee & Tomas Berglund, 2022. "The Ghent system in transition: unions’ evolving role in Sweden’s multi-pillar unemployment benefit system," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 28(2), pages 211-227, May.

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