European trade union federations are increasingly engaged in social dialogue with employer organizations in the context of the EU. Women and women's concerns are under-represented in the institutions and processes involved. Illustrations are given of sectoral social dialogue in the white-collar (insurance) sector and of European works councils in the automobile and food industries. Positive action for sex equality has produced some gains for women, but women's needs are unlikely to be fully met in European industrial relations without mechanisms to achieve sex-proportional representation in the unions and to increase the impact of their women's structures in mainstream policy-making.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Braithwaite, Mary
and Byrne, Catherine (1994) Women in Decision-Making in Trade Unions. Brussels: European Trade Union Confederation.
2.
Cockburn, Cynthia
(1983) Brothers: Male Dominance and Technological Change. London: Pluto Press.
3.
Cockburn, Cynthia
(1991) In the Way of Women: Men's Resistance to Sex Equality in Organizations. London: Macmillan.
4.
Conroy, Pauline
(1988) The Impact of the Completion of the Internal Market on Women in the European Community. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities, V/506/90-EN.
5.
Conroy, Pauline
and Flanagan, Niamh (1993) Women and Poverty in the European Community: Issues in the Current Debate. Dublin: University College.
6.
Cook, Alice H.
, Lorwin, Val R. and Daniels, Arlene Kaplan (1992) The Most Difficult Revolution: Women and Trade Unions. Ithaca, NY and London: Cornell University Press.
7.
Cunnison, Sheila
and Stageman, Jane (1993) Feminizing the Unions: Challenging the Culture of Masculinity. Aldershot: Avebury.
8.
Gold, Michael
and Hall, Mark (1992) Report on European-level Information and Consultation in Multinational Companies: An Evaluation of Practice. Dublin: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.
9.
Goldsmith, Jane Esuantsiwa
(1990) The Impact of the Creation of the 1992 Single European Market on Black and Ethnic Minority Women in the UK. London: National Alliance of Women's Organizations.
10.
Hemeldonck, M. van
(1990) The 1992 Single Market and its Implications for Women in the European Community. Strasbourg: The European Parliament. A-3-0358/90.
11.
Hyman, Richard
(1991) `European Unions: Towards 2000', Work, Employment and Society5(4): 621-639.
12.
Jónasdóttir, Anna G.
(1988) `On the Concept of Interest, Women's Interests, and the Limitations of Interest Theory', in Kathleen B. Jones and Anna G. Jónasdóttir (eds) The Political Interests of Gender, pp. 33-65. London and Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
13.
Maruani, Margaret
(1992) The Position of Women on the Labour Market: Trends and Developments in the 12 Member States of the European Community 1983-90. Women of Europe Supplements Series. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities.
14.
Pillinger, Jane
(1992) Feminizing the Market: Women's Pay and Employment in the European Community. London: Macmillan.
15.
Stoop, Sjef
, ed. (1994) The EWC: One Step Forward. Amsterdam: FNV Centrum Ondernemingsraden.
