Ambiguities of social Europe: political agenda setting among trade unionists from Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe
Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung, Köln
MPIfG - Köln
2017
23 p.
EU policy ; European integration ; social policy ; trade union solidarity ; trade union
Discussion Paper
17/1
European Union
English
Bibliogr.
"The article analyzes the integration of Central and Eastern European (CEE) trade unions in European policy-making. With reference to transnational cooperation in two fields of European-level decision making (issues concerning freedom of services and a European minimum wage), it investigates the extent to which trade unions from the CEE countries are participating in the development of policy positions among European-level trade union organizations. On this basis, the article highlights three things: (1) the instrumental meaning of "Social Europe," (2) the necessity of a mid-way position between optimistic and pessimistic viewpoints on East–West trade union cooperation, and (3) the meaning of social skill among European-level trade union actors."
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