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Trade Union Involvement - International Comparison

Besides their power in companies the trade unions have further possibilities of influencing economic and social processes. The following overview shows the range of trade union activity and their competence at the company, regional, social and political level.

At the company level the trade unions can participate in decision taking through works councils (WC) or company unions (CU) as well as in health and safety at work (HAS).

Influence on the welfare and legal systems is possible through the boards, supervisory boards, membership assemblies, e. g. in the pension insurance (PI), health insurance (HI), unemployment insurance (UI) and accident insurance (AI) schemes. In a number of countries the unions have the right to participate in the work of special labour courts as lay judges, assessors, etc., to help construe labour law in court (LC).

The education and training system (Edu) has been an important traditional field of trade union activity. We have analysed to what extent they are involved in the vocational training system (VT).

Economic co-determination: Trade union influence on economic decisions can take various forms. The key areas are participation in the work of the chambers (Cha), in partnership schemes under European programmes (Par), e. g. in the Common Agricultural Policy or in the framework of tripartite structures (Tri) in the accession countries.

Another field of activity is influencing political decisions (Pol. infl.).

Trade Union Involvement
  Company level Welfare and legal system Edu Economic co-determination Pol. infl.
WC CU HAS PI HI UI AI LC VT Cha Par Tri  
Status: 01.01.2007 | Source: own surveys
ATX  XXXX XXX X
BEX XXXX      X
BG X XX XXX  X 
CH   XXXX     X
CY        X  XX
CZ XXXXXX    XX
DEX XXXXXXXXX X
DKX XXXXXXX   X
EE XX        XX
ESX XXXXX X X X
FIX XX XXXX X X
FRX X     X XXX
GBX X     X XXX
GRX          X 
HR X         X 
HU XX        XX
IEX          X 
IS  XXXXXXX   X
IT XXXXXX X XXX
LT XX     X XXX
LUX XXXXX X XXX
LV X      X XXX
MT           X 
NLX  XXXX XX  X
NOX XXX   X X X
PL XXXXXX X XXX
PTX         X X
ROXXX XXX X    
SEX XX XXXX X X
SIX          XX
SKXXXXXXXXX XXX
TR X XXXXX    X

TextTrade Union Involvement