Interpreting strike activity in western Europe in the past 20 years: the labour repertoire under pressure

Abstract

German

French

This article provides a comparative overview of developments in strike activity in western Europe since the mid-1990s. It uses various indicators to analyse discernible trends over time in levels and patterns of strike activity across sectors and countries. The article argues that strikes are generally blending into a broader palette of workers’ repertoire of collective action. This possible blending applies in particular to a context in which the institutional logic of collective bargaining is underdeveloped or has been undermined.

Keywords

Strikes anti-austerity protest trade unions action repertoire

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