"National trade unions in Europe have created the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) to represent their European interests. This organization, however, has accepted a fundamentally dependent position in relation to agencies of the European Economic Community (EEC). Ideological convergence is emerging out of a previous situation of extreme ideological diversity. The ETUC, however, has been organized along regional rather than industrial lines, limiting its ability to work toward European collective bargaining. The EEC now seeks to extend the level of participation in all member countries to that of those whose participation is most advanced, but despite ETUC support for these proposals they have largely been stalled; labor seems unwilling to take the initiative. The gearing of European trade union policies to an esentially reformist program may prove to be a liability in the long run."

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