IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/ecoind/v38y2017i3p375-399.html

When does solidarity end? Transnational labour cooperation during and after the crisis – the GM/Opel case revisited

Author

Listed:
  • Susanne Pernicka

    (Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Austria)

  • Vera Glassner

    (Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Austria)

  • Nele Dittmar

    (Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Austria)

  • Adam Mrozowicki

    (Uniwersytet Wrocławski, Poland)

  • MaÅ‚gorzata Maciejewska

    (Uniwersytet Wrocławski, Poland)

Abstract

The General Motors (GM) case stands out for its transnational employee cooperation. During the crisis the ‘national turn’ of union politics seems to have eroded solidarity and mutual trust relations. In this article the authors suggest disentangling the behaviour of labour representatives and their attitudes, identities and feelings to develop a more sophisticated perspective on labour transnationalism. Concepts of sociological neo-institutionalism and empirical evidence from two automobile companies (GM/Opel and Volkswagen) in Germany, the UK and Poland are used to investigate the conditions under which transnational solidarity occurs and prevails. The authors conclude that solidarity in both companies has not come to an end and contributes to repertoires of contention in future labour conflicts.

Suggested Citation

  • Susanne Pernicka & Vera Glassner & Nele Dittmar & Adam Mrozowicki & MaÅ‚gorzata Maciejewska, 2017. "When does solidarity end? Transnational labour cooperation during and after the crisis – the GM/Opel case revisited," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 38(3), pages 375-399, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:38:y:2017:i:3:p:375-399
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X15577840
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0143831X15577840
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0143831X15577840?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Isabel da Costa & Udo Rehfeldt, 2007. "European Works Councils and transnational bargaining about restructuring in the auto industry," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 13(2), pages 313-316, May.
    2. Ian Greer & Marco Hauptmeier, 2008. "Political Entrepreneurs and Co‐Managers: Labour Transnationalism at Four Multinational Auto Companies," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 46(1), pages 76-97, March.
    3. Wolfgang Streeck, 1998. "The Internationalization of Industrial Relations in Europe: Prospects and Problems," Politics & Society, , vol. 26(4), pages 429-459, December.
    4. Elinor Ostrom, 2000. "Collective Action and the Evolution of Social Norms," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 14(3), pages 137-158, Summer.
    5. Streeck, Wolfgang, 1998. "The internationalization of industrial relations in Europe: Prospects and problems," MPIfG Discussion Paper 98/2, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    6. John R. Commons, 1909. "American Shoemakers, 1648–1895 A Sketch of Industrial Evolution," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 24(1), pages 39-84.
    7. Magdalena Bernaciak, 2013. "Labour solidarity in crisis? Lessons from G eneral M otors," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 139-153, March.
    8. Ludger Pries & Oliver Schweer, 2004. "The product development process as a measuring tool for company internationalisation? The case studies of DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen," International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 4(1), pages 1-21.
    9. Ian Greer & Marco Hauptmeier, 2012. "Identity Work: Sustaining Transnational Collective Action at General Motors Europe," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 275-299, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Magdalena Bernaciak, 2013. "Labour solidarity in crisis? Lessons from G eneral M otors," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 139-153, March.
    2. Ian Greer & Marco Hauptmeier, 2008. "Political Entrepreneurs and Co‐Managers: Labour Transnationalism at Four Multinational Auto Companies," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 46(1), pages 76-97, March.
    3. Vincenzo Maccarrone, 2024. "The Europeanization of Wage Policy and Its Consequences for Labor Politics: The Case of Ireland," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 77(5), pages 716-741, October.
    4. Syed, Jawad, 2008. "An Islamic perspective of industrial relations: the case of Pakistan," MPRA Paper 13684, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Tod Rutherford & Lorenzo Frangi, 2018. "Overturning Italy’s Article 18: Exogenous and endogenous pressures, and role of the state," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 39(3), pages 439-457, August.
    6. Marco Hauptmeier, 2012. "Institutions Are What Actors Make of Them — The Changing Construction of Firm-Level Employment Relations in Spain," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 50(4), pages 737-759, December.
    7. Nathan Lillie & Ian Greer, 2007. "Industrial Relations, Migration, and Neoliberal Politics: The Case of the European Construction Sector," Politics & Society, , vol. 35(4), pages 551-581, December.
    8. Sung Ho Park, 2013. "Capital openness, monetary integration, and wage-setting coordination in developed European countries," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 34(4), pages 637-666, November.
    9. Dorian Aliu & Ayten Akatay & Armando Aliu & Umut Eroglu, 2017. "Public Policy Influences on Academia in the European Union," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(1), pages 21582440176, February.
    10. Romuald Jagodziński, 2011. "EWCs after 15 years — success or failure?," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 17(2), pages 203-216, May.
    11. Saraï Sapulete & Annette van den Berg, 2017. "Works council effectiveness in subsidiaries of MNCs during reorganizations: Case study evidence from the Netherlands," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 38(4), pages 677-700, November.
    12. Hans-Wolfgang Platzer & Stefan Rüb, 2014. "It takes two to tango. Management and European company agreements," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 20(2), pages 255-270, May.
    13. Ian Greer & Marco Hauptmeier, 2012. "Identity Work: Sustaining Transnational Collective Action at General Motors Europe," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 275-299, April.
    14. Valeria Cirillo & Matteo Rinaldini & Jacopo Staccioli & Maria Enrica Virgillito, 2023. "Trade unions' responses to Industry 4.0 amid corporatism and resistance," PSL Quarterly Review, Economia civile, vol. 76(305), pages 91-120.
    15. Kantola, Anu & Seeck, Hannele, 2011. "Dissemination of management into politics: Michael Porter and the political uses of management consulting," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 49805, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    16. Acocella, Nicola & Di Bartolomeo, Giovanni & Tirelli, Patrizio, 2009. "The macroeconomics of social pacts," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 202-213, October.
    17. Thomas Prosser, 2012. "Europeanization through ‘procedures and practices’? The implementation of the telework and work-related stress agreements in the UK and Denmark," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 18(4), pages 447-460, November.
    18. Michael C. Burda, 2001. "European Labour Markets and the Euro: How Much Flexibility Do We Really Need?," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Deutsche Bundesbank (ed.), The Monetary Transmission Process, chapter 7, pages 252-282, Palgrave Macmillan.
    19. Guglielmo Meardi, 2012. "Union Immobility? Trade Unions and the Freedoms of Movement in the Enlarged EU," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 50(1), pages 99-120, March.
    20. Maarten Keune, 2021. "Inequality between capital and labour and among wage-earners: the role of collective bargaining and trade unions," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 27(1), pages 29-46, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:38:y:2017:i:3:p:375-399. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.ekhist.uu.se/english.htm .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.