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From Legalization to Institutionalized Marginalization: Trade Union Density in Greece, 1970-2020

Author

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  • Papadopoulou, Aggela
  • Gouzoulis, Giorgos

Abstract

This paper examines the evolution of trade union density in Greece between 1970 and 2020. While unionization grew substantially across most Western economies during the postwar reconstruction period, Greek organized labour largely missed this expansion due to the disruptions of the Greek Civil War (1946-49) and the military dictatorship (1967-74). Unionism expanded briefly after the restoration of democracy in 1974, but this proved short-lived. With the global rise of neoliberalism, Greece reverted to an anti-union regime, a trend that intensified following the Eurozone crisis. Building on this historical account, the paper employs time-series regression analysis to show that the deregulation of wage-setting and the decentralization of collective bargaining significantly undermined unionization. It further demonstrates that inflationary pressures and the servicization of the economy contributed to the long-run decline in union density.

Suggested Citation

  • Papadopoulou, Aggela & Gouzoulis, Giorgos, 2026. "From Legalization to Institutionalized Marginalization: Trade Union Density in Greece, 1970-2020," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1756, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:glodps:1756
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects
    • J58 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Public Policy
    • N34 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: 1913-

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