World Labour Report 1997-98: Industrial relations, democracy and social stability
Traditionally, relations among employers and their associations, workers through their trade unions and sometimes the public authorities have performed an economic function: ensuring a harmonious balance in production and in the distribution of the fruits of growth. They have also served two other purposes that were doubtless less apparent in the past, often because of economic prosperity but also because of the existence in many countries of authoritarian regimes: one is a social objective (ensuring that everyone who wishes to work is integrated into civil society), the other a democratic objective (giving workers their say in professional life)
Nowadays there is a clear trend towards greater independence of enterprises and more individualized labour relationships. At the same time, the ability of occupational organizations to act is being questioned. Union membership is down; employers' associations are facing difficulties; the very usefulness of collective bargaining is being challenged. As a result industrial relations are no longer able to serve their purpose as effectively as before: income gaps are widening; unemployment and underemployment are causing social exclusion (whatever name it may go by). When they come up against the labour market, and whether they come from developing or from developed countries, more and more people are finding that they are on their own and unable to make their voice heard.
What is the cause of all this disruption? Some people put most of the blame on the new methods of production and communication, on the globalization of the economy that goes with them, on the new approaches to human resources development. Others see workers' organizations and traditional collective labour relationships as leftovers from the past that are unable to cope with all the different concerns and levels of industrial relations and believe that the new forms of cooperation with workers are better suited to present-day constraints.
The aim of this publication is to examine the relevance and the limits of these two points of view, and then to outline some conclusions for the present and some prospects for the future. The situation, in fact, is not as bleak as certain studies suggest. There are many signs that employers' associations and trade unions are adjusting to the realities of today. And there is every sign that a whole new social dynamic is developing. The most active trade unions are looking beyond the working population and opening their doors to those who have no stable employment, or no job at all. Both in word and in deed, they are looking more and more like genuine social movements with a clear vision of how to defend and promote the interests (however varied) of the world of those in work. Moreover, on practically every continent the State is getting more and more involved in social issues than ever before. This report draws attention to a whole range of mechanisms that are used today to govern the relations between employers and the organized workforce. They are a reflection of the effort that has been made to adapt the structures, venues and strategies to the new economic reality and to its international dimension.
