ETUI-ETUC conference 2016 Panel 22 Valeria Pulignano

1. Articulation and the role of
EWC: social effects within
(and across) transnational
workplaces
Valeria Pulignano
Centre for Sociological Research (CESO)
KU Leuven

2. EWC and articulation
 Articulation as a condition for EWC institutional
embeddedness within the transnational arena of social
governance  Europeanisation IR;
 Articulation as a key for success of TUs cooperation across
borders ;
How can articulation be defined ?
Which conditions can foster articulation ?
What does articulation mean for workers and
unions?
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3. Negotiating flexibility and security at MNCs
workplaces
Train
Four countries
• Belgium, Germany, Italy, UK
2x2 comparison
• High-tech vs. low-tech
• High vs. low degree of market competition
• Standardized vs. differentiated products
• Vertical vs. horizontal integration
Across-country institutional variety
• Multi- and single-level bargaining
• Delegation vs derogation multi-level
bargaining arrangements
• Presence of EWCs
• EFAs in Train and Satellite
Comparison holds in terms of size, union
presence and sector
Machine
SatelliteAuto
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4. EWC and articulation: “Spill-over” effects
 ‘Pull’ and ‘push’ processes (Sisson and Marginson, 2002)
 Spill-over effects of EWCs in the different fields of IR
 EWCs and the continuous engagement in (coordination
with) the negotiation and the implementation of EFAs
 Institutional arrangements for collective resources for workers
(“associational power” i.e. Wright, 2000);
 EFAs as transnational institutional arrangements
generating collective resources for workers and unions
Unions benefiting of ‘positive gains’ across-borders;
Reducing workplace inequality while moderating
concessions as the union response to MNCs
benchmarking strategies ;4

5. The “negative” trade-offs
Machine
• Progressive increase of
flexibility resulting from
benchmarking
• Facilitated by the standardized
nature of the product and low
technology within a vertically
integrated structure
• Union agree concessions on
flexibility/ security
 Flexibility was conceded
against security
Auto
• High levels of flexibility,
reinforced by benchmarking, Jit,
production
• Facilitated by the standardized
nature of the product and low
technology in a horizontally
integrated structure
• No concession but imposed
flexibility with no security in
exchange
 Flexibility without security
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6. The “positive” trade off
Train
• High degree of specialization of plants,
high technology, differentiated products
vertically integrated structure, reduced
benchmarking
• The presence of EFA (2011) on training
and mobility created a ‘transnational’
resource for employment security
• EWC implemented the EFA by creating
channels of communication with national
employee representatives; ETUFs
coordinated networking and
communication across borders and at
different levels – “positive gains”
 Consensual arrangements on
flexibility and security
Satellite
• Horizontal integration, high product
specialisation and entry barriers entail
job guarantees independently of whether
flexibility is reduced or increased
• EFAs (2009-2010) supported job
retention also in situation of unions
being threatened by collective
redundancy because of restructuring;
• EWC role in the implementation of EFA ;
ETUFs facilitated cross-borders union
coordination and collaboration,
particularly during restructuring –
 Security independently on flexibility
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7. Conclusions
 Institutional means (EFA) enhanced the capacity of local
unions to safeguard security (protection);
 Auto and Machine  “second best option” (exchange of
flexibility for short-term job guarantee if possible),
 Train and Satellite  use of EFA as an institutional resource
for unions to shaping flexibility into employment security;
“positive gains” for subsidiaries;
 Articulation between EU and local ERs levels (“spill-over”) 
coordination between EPs and negotiation and bargaining
structures at different levels
 EWCs engaged in the negotiation and implementation of
EFA by transferring to local unions and ERs the ‘positive
gains’ of EFA;
 Communication and leading co-ordination by ETUFs.7

8. Implications
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• Spill-over effects of EWC into negotiation and
implementation of EFAs
• Articulation as the result of the coordination
across (and within) different fields, levels and
functions of IR
• Role of ETUFs

9. Thanks a lot for your
attention.
valeria.pulignano@kuleuven.be
http://soc.kuleuven.be/ceso/wo/erlm/index

10. Country practices
MACHINE
• Germany: works councils accepted a
flexible working week (28-42 hours);
10% wage reduction; short-time working
schemes; and agency work, in return for
investment and employment guarantees.
• Belgium: unions used working time
reduction (1-2 days); job rotation and
temporary dismissals for job guarantee
in return
• Italy: unions could rely on temporary
dismissals and working time accounts as
well as working time reductions to
enhance flexibility while retaining job
security.
• Britain: working time reduction (from 39
to 35 hours within the work week) and
working time accounts; 10% pay cut and
temporary employment for job security in
return
AUTO
• Germany: unpaid overtime of one hour
a week to respond to the just-in-time
production – no job guarantee
• Belgium and Italy: to respond to
customers’ production fluctuations
unions accepted higher levels of
temporary work and fixed-term contracts
without the guarantee of employment
protection.
• Britain: temporary work increased and
was combined with a 10% pay cut
without job guarantees in the medium
short term.
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11. Country practices
TRAIN (EFA 2010 and 2011)
• Germany: works councils negotiate on
internal mobility to keep workforce
capacity in line with expected demand,
and to rely on the transfer and rotation of
expertise across different plants when
production peaks occurred.
• Britain: unions negotiate locally on job
rotation and inter-plants mobility
• Italy and Belgium: unions bargain for
competence developments to ensure
capacity of the workforce and mobility
training
SATELLITE (EFA in 2009)
• Germany: the works councils rejected
management’s request to pay for
surplus hours in the workforce’s working-
time accounts and job dismissals policy
and locally negotiated mobility
programs.
• Belgium: unions no concessions on
wages in return for job security. They
retained employees by locally
negotiating mobility program.
• Italy: unions resisted the HQ to increase
the use of project-work and agency
workers and arranged an ad hoc
company-level agreement on the use of
an overtime bonus
• Britain: mobility programs were locally
negotiated
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