search query: @indexterm Europe / total: 3780
reference: 9 / 3780
| Author: | Gumbrell-McCormick, R. |
| Title: | European trade unions and "atypical" workers |
| Journal: | Industrial Relations Journal
2011 : MAY, VOL. 42:3, p. 293-310 |
| Index terms: | young workers part-time workers Europe capitalism employment |
| Freeterms: | labour unions |
| Language: | eng |
| Abstract: | The raising share of 'atypical' or precarious forms of work, such as part-time, temporary or agency, contracted-out, posted, dependent self-employed and undocumented work, has generated one of the biggest challenges facing trade unions in Europe today. The 'atypical' has become increasingly 'typical' in a number of European countries, especially among women and younger workers. The rise in atypical forms of work requires changes in the way trade unions develop strategies, policies and structures and brings about a challenge to their conventional ways of thinking and organising. This paper begins with the definition of atypical work and a general overview of the literature considering the subject before moving on to the essence of the challenge it creates for trade unions in Europe and a summary of their responses, drawing on preliminary findings from a three-year research project in unions of 10 European countries. The conclusion is that while unions have made significant progress in addressing the concerns of atypical workers, they will have to change their structures, thinking and way of operating substantially in order to be properly able to respond to the challenge of this growing form of work. |
SCIMA