The role of trade unions in meeting the global ecological challenge: a comparative approach across varieties of capitalism

Journal title ECONOMIA E SOCIETÀ REGIONALE
Author/s Tim Page
Publishing Year 2024 Issue 2024/2
Language Italian Pages 12 P. 13-24 File size 246 KB
DOI 10.3280/ES2024-002002
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This paper describes the nature of the climate challenge, before discussing the role of unions in countries as diverse as France, Germany, China and South Korea. It argues that under Germany’s co-determination system, unions are able to influence the strategic direction of the company at an early stage. This has led to important guarantees around job retention, wages and skills training in companies such as Basf, following the global financial crisis, and Air-bus Deutschland in relation to another major industrial challenge, the onset of digital technol-ogy. Any system of industrial relations has its advantages and disadvantages but, it is argued, being in the room as decisions are taken by management, rather than responding afterwards, is the union’s best chance of influencing the big choices that will be necessary in order to achieve a just transition to a net zero economy.

Keywords: Industrial Policy, Varieties of Capitalism, Just Transition, Trade Unions

Jel codes: E02, O14, P16

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Tim Page, Il ruolo dei sindacati di fronte alla sfida ecologica globale: un approccio comparativo tra diversi tipi di capitalismo in "ECONOMIA E SOCIETÀ REGIONALE " 2/2024, pp 13-24, DOI: 10.3280/ES2024-002002