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Ten years of enlargement and the forces of labour in Central and Eastern Europe

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  • Béla Greskovits

    (Department of International Relations and Department of Political Science, Central European University, Budapest)

Abstract

This article introduces the individual contributions to this issue, which takes stock of the results of the first decade of eastern enlargement of the EU. Combining the insights of the study of industrial relations and social movement theory, the analysis focuses on what Central and Eastern European trade unions have done to benefit from new opportunities and mitigate new risks in good times and bad. The article proposes that while during the first decade after enlargement the hollowing and backsliding of industrial democracy made it difficult for organized workers to make their voices heard via collective bargaining, there have been tectonic shifts in labour’s typical voices of discontent. Aggrieved employees have protested less through strikes at the workplace in their capacity as workers empowered by labour’s collective rights and in alliance with fellow workers. Instead, the repertoire of contention has been dominated by demonstrations in the public space by public sector employees, who have relied on their citizenship rights shared with fellow citizens and have sought the support of civil society organizations.

Suggested Citation

  • Béla Greskovits, 2015. "Ten years of enlargement and the forces of labour in Central and Eastern Europe," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 21(3), pages 269-284, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:treure:v:21:y:2015:i:3:p:269-284
    DOI: 10.1177/1024258915585932
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Magdalena Bernaciak, 2015. "All roads lead to decentralization? Collective bargaining trends and prospects in Central and Eastern Europe," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 21(3), pages 373-381, August.
    2. Peter Murrell, 1996. "How Far Has the Transition Progressed?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 10(2), pages 25-44, Spring.
    3. Sabina Stan & Idar Helle & Roland Erne, 2015. "European collective action in times of crisis," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 21(2), pages 131-139, May.
    4. Vera Glassner, 2013. "Central and eastern European industrial relations in the crisis: national divergence and path-dependent change," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 19(2), pages 155-169, May.
    5. Mihai Varga, 2015. "Trade unions and austerity in Central and Eastern Europe," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 21(3), pages 313-326, August.
    6. Martin Kahanec, 2015. "Labour market impacts of post-enlargement migration on hosts and stayers in EU labour markets," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 21(3), pages 359-372, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Maria da Paz Campos Lima & Antonio Martín Artiles, 2018. "Social protests, discontent and politics in southern and eastern Europe," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 24(2), pages 195-215, May.
    2. Kurt Vandaele, 2016. "Interpreting strike activity in western Europe in the past 20 years: the labour repertoire under pressure," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 22(3), pages 277-294, August.
    3. Francesco Bagnardi & Valentina Petrović, 2020. "Post-socialist labour and the dual logic of collective action: workers’ unrest and trade union strategy in Fiat Automobiles Serbia," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 26(4), pages 415-430, November.
    4. Kurt Vandaele, 2021. "Applauded ‘nightingales’ voicing discontent. Exploring labour unrest in health and social care in Europe before and since the COVID-19 pandemic," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 27(3), pages 399-411, August.

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