Collective action within cross-border union alliances: Evidence from two contrasting case studies

Among the most important innovations recently displayed by trade unions are international alliances. Beyond their stated objective of socially regulating the activities of multinational companies, these alliances also aim to develop forums where workers, on a transnational basis, can share their grievances and establish strategies to face a common employer. That said, the goal of this presentation is to discuss the way collective action was initiated and developed in two cases of transnational union alliances, in two different industrial sectors. The research involved more than 100 interviews with unionists from various countries around the world. Its working hypotheses derived from the following questions: a) On what basis and how has collective action taken place in the course of these two contrasted alliances?; b) What are the factors conditioning the evolution of the action respectively undertaken in these building processes? Through these investigations, we target two main objectives: first, to seize the way collective action was built and developed in both alliances; and second, to report the conditions of efficiency and sustainability of this action. The emerging analysis is then nuanced and contrasted. On the one hand, it sheds light on the many obstacles possibly hindering the development of transnational union alliances. On the other, it dwells on the impacts of international alliances as an effective tool of renewal for unions from the North and the South.

This presentation is divided into four sections. First, we briefly summarize the different research proposals that guided our analysis. Second, we present the methodology used in our research. Third, we expose our data through a comparative perspective. Finally, we conclude by examining the possible contribution of transnational alliances in terms of union renewal.