Third ISA Forum of Sociology (July 10-14, 2016)

512

Economic Crises, Labour Movements and Resistance in Central and Eastern Europe

RC44 Labor Movements (host committee)

Language: English

Despite neoliberal transformations and cyclic economic crises in the last two decades, the intensity and scope of trade union mobilization and protests in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries have been rather limited. This was explained by the socialist legacies, structural labour weakness and the expansion of market-liberal workers’ subjectivities. Unsurprisingly, collective bargaining solutions to the consequences of the 2007+ global economic crisis have also been rare. Due to the weakness of social dialogue institutions, trade unions have tended to resort to unilateral strategies against austerity measures, involving organising, street protests and public campaigns targeting the issues of precarious jobs. In many countries, we have also observed collective mobilisation beyond traditionally understood employment relations in which the opposition against neoliberalism was framed in nationalistic terms. Simultaneously, the “exit” strategies through migration abroad have continued. 
The goal of this session is to discuss the variety of workers’ individual and collective responses to the consequences of the 2007+ economic crisis. Can we observe the “disenchantment of market” in Eastern Europe? What are the relationships between labour movements and other social movements of protest? Were trade unions able to meet new challenges, such as the rise of new forms of precarious work, the decomposition of social dialogue institutions, mass migration abroad and the rise of nationalist movements? 
We invite paper proposals which explore the sources, mechanisms and consequences of the emergent forms of workers’ resistance against neoliberalism in CEE countries. The papers presenting the results of comparative research are particularly welcome. Posters: