Contested industrial democracy discourses in transnational companies. The case of the ArcelorMittal European Social Dialogue Group

Sergio González Begega, Holm-Detlev Köhler and Mona Aranea
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Sergio González Begega: Department of Sociology, University of Oviedo, Spain
Holm-Detlev Köhler: Department of Sociology, University of Oviedo, Spain
Mona Aranea: Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, UK

Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 2018, vol. 24, issue 4, 451-465

Abstract: This article discusses the potential of European transnational company agreements for developing industrial democracy at European company level. It describes the experience of the ArcelorMittal European Social Dialogue Group, established in 2009 through a European transnational company agreement as an innovative channel for trade union involvement in corporate decision-making. The conceptual framework draws on a cross-national comparison of industrial democracy discourses in two European countries, Germany and Spain. A qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews with trade union representatives and management is used to identify divergent national discourses of employee voice giving rise to common misunderstandings of industrial democracy at European level. The findings illustrate the persisting communication challenges faced by trade unions when engaging in employee representation structures at transnational company level. The article also shows that trade union representatives are able to adapt their national discourses on industrial democracy under the influence of European practice.

Keywords: Transnational companies; industrial democracy; European framework agreements; trade unions; company-level social dialogue (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:treure:v:24:y:2018:i:4:p:451-465

DOI: 10.1177/1024258918775838

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