Blackwell Reference Online

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Multinational bargaining is a concept developed in the 1970s, when the growth and spread of firms operating in more than one nation appeared vulnerable to activity orchestrated by unions known as international trade secretariats. Some of these union bodies with worldwide memberships, such as the International Chemical and Energy Workers, the International Union of Food and Allied Workers, and the International Metalworkers' Federation, all based in Geneva, claimed that a new concept encompassing union and management delegates bargaining across national borders would be the wave of the future. The European Trade Union Confederation, based in Brussels, and its industry groups were also seen as active participants in this process. A number of serious obstacles have prevented the development of multinational collective bargaining : 1 Different legislation : No two countries have the same labor laws or practices. Bargaining rights, union structures, and bargaining structures are different and difficult to reconcile from one country to another. 2 Employer opposition : Employers almost universally oppose multinational bargaining since they see nothing to be gained from the process. Most business leaders see multinational bargaining as a potential complicating factor that would add a third level of risk to work stoppages. 3 Union opposition : Some unions fear that multinational bargaining ... log in or subscribe to read full text