ABSTRACT

The literature is sceptical about the functioning of the European trade union organizations and the vertical integration of the movement (Hyman 2005; Turner 1996). I will describe the role of existing structures and interaction with respect to fostering the Europeanization of solidarity among workers. By structures, I mean both European umbrella organizations as well as EWCs or national and regional ones. The findings summarized in this chapter are an important contribution towards the debate on integration of the European trade union movement insofar as they illustrate the active role of the actors involved and also highlight the potential of the social processes taking place. A presentation of the limits of the processes generated within vertical channels of the organization will supplement the analysis. I will elaborate on the vertical dimension of the national trade union movement, highlighting the potentials for mobilization and the constraints evolving from the segmentation of the system of workers’ representation. Our understanding of the success and failure of developing transnational

solidarity will profit from conceptualizing this interest representation in a vertical perspective as a relation between the representatives and the represented. It is argued that the trade unions can be effective when there is articulation of interests between different levels of trade union structures (Crouch 1993, cited in Pulignano 2005: 386). The main challenge of the trade unions is the vertical disintegration of workers’ representation. Although the power relations, competencies and resources assigned to different levels are of importance, I would like to stress the communication across the levels of organizations as another important aspect of cooperation. The limits of vertical coordination can be conceptualized from the social movement research perspective as limits of the micromobilization processes and venues. Similarly, one can see the theory on logic of trade union collective action, which stresses the role of ‘dialogical processes’ (Offe and Wiesenthal 1980) as being consistent within this framework. A further problem in this regard is that the trade unions in some countries are in competition with each other and that there is a dual system of interest representation. The first subchapter will present the role of European-level trade union orga-

nization in the mobilization and involvement in European issues of national

trade unions (or lower levels). The second subchapter will highlight the limits of vertical integration, which is particularly a problem at the local level – not only for international cooperation but national cooperation as well. I will point to structural factors that influence vertical integration. The third part will also present an opposite tendency to the one expected in the literature. Whereas it is usually assumed that the upper level of trade union structures is more internationalist than the lower ones (Hyman 2005b; Wagner 2005), there are also examples of lower structures being more internationalist. I will describe examples from my case studies and additional interviews and research by other authors. This can be seen as a new challenge for the trade union leadership, one that might foster its internationalist orientation. The last part will describe how the trade unions frame transnational cooperation. I will analyze this aspect in the context of framing strategies applied in mobilization efforts and attracting new members to the social movement. This will illustrate the role of trade unions in translating the European dimension to the workforce.

This subsection will investigate whether the European institutional structures are a venue for the development of European thinking and action. According to Huijgen et al. (2007), the ‘European identity seems to develop only if and when other institutions and structures pull in that direction’ (ibid: 224). Turner (1996) points to the transnational European structures of interest representation, such as the ETUC or the EWCs, as being structures without action. He sees, however, a potential for mobilization generated in these structures. From a longer-term perspective and with richer empirical material, I would like to undertake an analysis of the relation between these organizational structures and subsequent action. The case studies presented different levels of organizing on the part of European trade unions: the national level in the ETUC, the national sectoral level in the European Industry Federations and the plant level (European Works Council in a multinational company). In addition to these, other structures such as international trade union federations and regional-level cooperation (e.g. within the Interregional Trade Union Council) have been relevant. In this chapter I will focus on the effects of organizations in terms of vertical mobilization. The following chapter will highlight the mobilizing effects of the meeting platform they provide. The trade unions do not want to give up their autonomy and shift their

competencies to regulation at the European level (Schroeder and Weinert 2004). Whereas the formal institutions and power relations are of importance for decision making, one should not overlook the informal institutionalization of relations and its impact on action. One should look at transnational trade union structures from the perspective of their ability to foster cooperation and mobilization and not only their decision-making power. Based on the example of mobilization against the Service Directive, the first subsection will illustrate that the European organizations have a potential for mobilizing the