Trade unions as economic and political actors

Dennie Oude Nijhuis

Chapter 50 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Business and Government, 2026, pp 293-299 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Trade unions are powerful actors whose activities have important consequences for the operation of business and government. To advance the interests of their members and the broader workforce, trade unions not only seek to engage in collective bargaining with employers, but also aim to influence a wide range of government policies. While there continues to be considerable scholarly debate about the exact nature and impact of trade union influence, there is a broad consensus that the consequences of trade union activity for the operation of business and government depends on a great number of factors and has differed greatly over time and among countries. In addition, there has been considerable scholarly debate about the origins and consequences of the gradual decline in union influence in most advanced democracies since the 1980s.

Keywords: Trade unions; Employers; Government policy; Labor markets; Collective bargaining; Democracy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035307777
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