TRANSNATIONAL GOVERNANCE AND THE CHALLENGES FOR LABOUR ORGANISATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: TOWARDS A MEANINGFUL SOCIAL DIMENSION?

Abstract

<p>The primary goal of the thesis is to examine the role ofthe European labour movement as</p> <p>policy coordinator at the trarisnationallevel of governance and to analyse the significance</p> <p>of labour-related collective action for the development of the Social Dimension. The first</p> <p>chapter provides a literature review outlining the obstacles that constrain labour</p> <p>organisation at the European level, as well as a description of the analytical framework</p> <p>utilised in the thesis to assess the importance of transnational labour activity for the</p> <p>Social Dimension. Chapters two and three constitute the core of the thesis, with the focus</p> <p>of analysis centred on the strategic orientation of the labour movement as both social</p> <p>partner and social movement organisation. By differentiating between the two roles,</p> <p>social partner and social movement, the thesis explores the impact of labour-related</p> <p>collective action on the European decision-making process; the distinction between</p> <p>strategies of transnational labour activity highlights the emergence of a traditional model</p> <p>oftrade unionism and alternative forms of labour organisation between trade unions and</p> <p>nongovernmental organisations. Data for the case study is drawn from primary and</p> <p>secondary sources and involves both descriptive and interpretive content analysis of</p> <p>European official documents as well as on-line databases and web pages. The findings</p> <p>suggest that the European labour movement has made significant progress in influencing</p> <p>the direction of European integration so as to include a social dimension. However,</p> <p>labour's access to the decision-making process continues to be limited by the shifting</p> <p>political opportunity structure that defines transnational governance in the European</p> <p>Union. The thesis concludes with an explanation of the broader implications of</p> <p>transnational labour-related collective activity for capital-labour relations and the policy</p> <p>making process that go beyond the boundaries of the nation-state.</p>