Already Arrived in Brussels? Trade Union Representation of the New Member States at the EU Level

Funded by the Otto Brenner-Foundation, 2007 – 2008, Head of Project: Heiko Pleines
 

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The research project was conducted by the Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen in collaboration with the Institute of Sociology at the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Sociology at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the Koszalin Institute of Comparative European Studies, and European Consulting - Research (Brussels).


Summary of the Research Findings

Research question and research design

The research project examined the integration of the trade unions of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, respectively new Member States of the EU, at the EU level. More specifically, it focussed on the practical experiences the trade union representatives had within the EU context. Lead by the Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen, the research project further benefited from contributions made by the Institute of Sociology at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the Koszalin Institute of Comparative European Studies, the Institute of Sociology at the Czech Academy of Sciences, and Brigitte Krech (Brussels).

In summer 2007, trade union representatives from the selected countries were interviewed with regard to their experiences and the evaluation of their roles at the EU level. In addition, key figures participating in the Social Dialogue of the EU (i.e. representatives of the trade unions and of the employers’ organisations), specialist staff from the EU institutions and experts specializing on the role of trade unions at the EU level were consulted. Further, to be able to set out similarities and differences, a number of representatives from the German trade unions were also questioned. Overall almost 100 interviews, lasting about one hour each, were conducted, providing a comprehensive picture of Polish, Czech and Slovak trade union integration at the EU level.


Key Findings

In general, the trade unions in the new Members States consider the EU an important player and, by a large majority, welcome its influence with regard to their own agendas. Accordingly, it does not surprise that many of the trade unions hope for an even stronger engagement of the EU at the national level.

Nonetheless, the Polish, Czech and Slovak trade unions continue to lack strong representation in Brussels. Indeed, despite this obvious need, none of them maintains a permanent office in Brussels. In addition, the insufficient language skills of their representatives further hinders integration at the EU level. Even among the representatives responsible for EU relations, less than a quarter have a competent knowledge of English; in contrast, most of them have a competent knowledge of Russian.

As to the Polish, Czech and Slovak trade unions’ participation in the EU decision-making process, it can, thus, be observed that they almost exclusively take influence by way of the confederations operating across Europe and membership of such EU institutions like the Social Dialogue and the European Economic and Social Committee. In this context it is worth noting that two out of the six large employers’ organisations from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia maintain offices in Brussels and that the large German trade unions enjoy direct consultation with the European Commission as well as with representatives in the Council of Ministers and in the European Parliament. Time and again they have succeeded to have their interests heard.

Instead of taking influence on decision-making processes at the EU level, the trade unions from the new Member States prefer to use the EU as a kind of facilitator to help them set out their policy at the national level. Deriving important information from the confederations they are members of, they subsequently press governments and employers to adopt European standards and guidelines.

At present, the trade union representatives from the new Member States appear to be content with this situation. Indeed, they regard the influence the trade unions take at the EU level as comparatively strong. Furthermore, the vast majority of the union representatives welcome collaboration within the confederations. However, they also tend to be critical of their own role at the EU level: Many regard this as insignificant and only a narrow majority appears to be content with their own role at the EU level. This differs markedly from their role at the national level, for which a much higher level of satisfaction has been recorded.

The longer the trade unions from the new Member States will have been involved in EU decision-making processes and the closer the social standards of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia will have aligned with the EU average, the more determined the trade unions will be to collaborate on the negotiation of new EU-wide rules. There also is little doubt that with further integration the trade unions will have to coordinate and represent their interests at the EU level. Both of these developments point to a close integration of the trade unions from the new Member States in the trade union representation of interests at the EU level.


Publications

Pleines, Heiko (2012): Representing workers or presenting EU prescriptions? Trade unions from post-socialist Member States in EU multi-level governance, in: Kröger, Sandra / Friedrich, Dawid (eds): The challenge of democratic representation in the European Union, Basingstoke (Palgrave Macmillan), 241-257.

Heiko Pleines (2010): Is this the way to Brussels? CEE civil society involvement in EU governance, in: Acta Politica No.1-2 (vol. 45), pp.229-246.

Monika Čambáliková (2010): Slovenskí sociálni partneri doma a v Bruseli. AUSPICIA, Vysoká škola evropských a regionálních studií, České Budějovice 2/2010, pp. 90 - 94

Julia Kusznir, Heiko Pleines (eds.) (2008): Trade Unions from Post-Socialist Member States in EU Governance, Stuttgart (Ibidem Publishers).

Heiko Pleines (2008): In Brüssel angekommen? Die gewerkschaftliche Interessenvertretung der neuen Mitgliedsländer auf der EU-Ebene, OBS-Arbeitsheft 54.

Heiko Pleines (ed.) (2008): Already arrived in Brussels? Interest representation of trade unions from the new EU member states at the EU level. Documentation of interview results, Working Paper of the Research Centre for East European Studies No. 91.

Monika Čambáliková (2008): Slovenské odbory doma a v Bruseli. In: Sociológia pre spoločnosť. Teoreticko-praktické zázemie sociálnej vedy [elektronický zdroj], Bratislava: Slovenská sociologická spoločnosť SAV, pp. 21-26.

Pleines, Heiko (2007): Gewerkschaftliche Interessenvertretung auf der EU-Ebene. Eine vergleichende Analyse für Polen, Tschechien und die Slowakei, in: Osteuropa Wirtschaft 52:4, 330-346.

Heiko Pleines (ed.) (2007): In Brüssel angekommen? Die gewerkschaftliche Interessenvertretung der neuen Mitgliedsländer auf der EU-Ebene. Teil 1: Erste Ergebnisse für Polen, Tschechien und Slowakei im Länderüberblick, Teil 2: Dokumentation der Interviewergebnisse. Arbeitspapiere und Materialien der Forschungsstelle Osteuropa No.s 88 and 89.

Joanna Einbock, Aleksandra Lis: Polish trade unions in EU governance, KICES Working Papers No. 11 (December 2007)