European multinational companies and trade unions in eastern and east-central Europe
European Trade Union Institute, Brussels
ETUI - Brussels
2020
40 p.
multinational enterprise ; trade union ; labour relations ; collective bargaining ; labour law ; EU enlargement
Eastern Europe ; Central Europe ; EU countries
Working Paper
2020.03
Business economics
English
Bibliogr.;Statistics
1994-4446
03.04-68128
"The fact that multinational companies operate (MNCs) in more than one country can be expected to lead to a weaker bargaining position for labour. However, there are hopes that these companies may, under certain circumstances, transfer good employment practices from their home countries. This theory is investigated for the case of MNCs based in western Europe that invest in the countries of eastern and east-central Europe, where they dominate in several important economic sectors. The established legal and institutional frameworks in those countries give a degree of employment protection, but it is limited. Union recognition by MNCs is quite common, but collective bargaining often provides little beyond existing legal provisions. A series of case studies shows how unions can try to, and sometimes succeed in, getting better results from bargaining. The key conclusion is that international solidarity, contacts and publicity can help unions in host countries, but the ultimate determinant is the determination and organisational strength of employees."
Digital;Paper
ISBN (PDF) : 1994-4454
Legal deposit : D/2020/10.574/14
The ETUI is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the ETUI.