Transnational Industrial Relations as Multi‐Level Governance: Interdependencies in European Social Dialogue

Abstract

Processes of transnationalization of industrial relations have been redrawing and increasing the complexity of the industrial relations map, adding new levels, actors and institutions, and creating new horizontal and vertical relationships and interdependencies.To capture these changes, we propose a multigovernance perspective enriched by due attention to power relations. We then apply this perspective to analyse the evolution of European social dialogue (ESD), showing that the conventional reading of ESD moving from dependency to autonomy is a false one: negotiated regulation emanating from the ESD rests on two-directional relations, between the European and national levels involving autonomy and dependency at the same time. It also involves differing forms of horizontal interdependency between private actors and the public authorities. To show its wider applicability, we also briefly relate this approach to International Framework Agreements and European Works Council agreements.

Governing Work and Employment Relations in an Internationalized Economy

“…This is particularly so for the decentralization of collective bargaining to the company level (katz 1993;Traxler 1995;Marginson and sisson 2006) and the emergence of reflexive or decentralized labor law instruments, which specify procedural frameworks aimed at inducing employers and worker representatives to reach arrangements suited to their own circumstances (supiot 1999; Barnard and Deakin 2000;Rogowski 2013). nature-and whether and under what conditions effective implementation is realized-research on multilevel governance has tended to neglect such power dynamics (keune and Marginson 2013).…”

“…Moreover, actors' ability to exercise choice within the mosaic of possibilities for intervention according to considerations of interest is shaped by power relations as well as by an efficiency rationale. In short, advantage in terms of power can be secured by pursuing one option rather than another (keune and Marginson 2013).…”

Mapping the frontier of theory in industrial relations: the contested role of worker representation

“…As such, Marginson et al (2004) emphasize similar factors to the ones proposed in the framework of Lakhani et al (2013) and therefore also underscore how the effectiveness of EWCs is contingent on factors beyond the national institutional context. According to Keune and Marginson (2013) this calls for a multilevel governance approach that captures relationships and interdependencies between the actors at supranational, national, regional and local levels and identifies how these actors employ their resources to shape employment relations to their advantage.…”

Works council effectiveness in subsidiaries of MNCs during reorganizations: Case study evidence from the Netherlands

“…However, former studies have also argued that a full transfer from home to host country practices is unlikely, because of the differences in institutional settings the subsidiaries operate in (e.g. Keune and Marginson, 2013;Streeck, 1998).…”

“…Several studies have therefore called for research to focus on the internal or political factors determining the functioning of subsidiaries of MNCs (e.g. Coller, 1996;Keune and Marginson, 2013;Pulignano, 2006). Thus, instead of focusing on contextual factors alone, we also take into account the behavioural components in the local plant, such as the way in which works councils communicate with the other actors in the organization, the attitude of local management towards the works council and the interference by top (foreign) management regarding local issues.…”