Anders Kjellberg
Professor emeritus
Union Density in Norway and Sweden: Stability versus Decline
Författare
Summary, in Swedish
The aim is to explain why union density is not only considerably higher in the Ghent country
Sweden than in non-Ghent Norway but also why it has declined much more in Sweden, in par-
ticular among blue-collar workers. We show how changes to Swedish unemployment insurance in
2007–2013 were followed by a decline in union density and how white-collar unions were more
successful than blue-collar unions in developing supplementary income insurance schemes that
counteracted membership losses. This type of institutional explanation is nevertheless insufficient.
In Norway, too, blue-collar density has decreased while white-collar workers have maintained their
density rate. Norwegian data further show that even without unemployment insurance funds, it is
possible to achieve a fairly high union density at workplaces with collective agreements. However,
without unemployment benefits like we find in Sweden, it is increasingly challenging to establish an
institutional foundation for a social custom of unionization.
Sweden than in non-Ghent Norway but also why it has declined much more in Sweden, in par-
ticular among blue-collar workers. We show how changes to Swedish unemployment insurance in
2007–2013 were followed by a decline in union density and how white-collar unions were more
successful than blue-collar unions in developing supplementary income insurance schemes that
counteracted membership losses. This type of institutional explanation is nevertheless insufficient.
In Norway, too, blue-collar density has decreased while white-collar workers have maintained their
density rate. Norwegian data further show that even without unemployment insurance funds, it is
possible to achieve a fairly high union density at workplaces with collective agreements. However,
without unemployment benefits like we find in Sweden, it is increasingly challenging to establish an
institutional foundation for a social custom of unionization.
Avdelning/ar
- Sociologi
Publiceringsår
2022-02-23
Språk
Engelska
Sidor
51-72
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies
Volym
12
Issue
58
Fulltext
- Available as PDF - 199 kB
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Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies
Ämne
- Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)
Nyckelord
- union density
- trade union
- Norway
- Sweden
- Ghent system
- income insurance
- unemployment fund
- a-kassa
- fackförening
- blue-collar worker
- white-collar worker
- Nordic model
- Swedish model
- industrial relations
- foreign-born
- domestic-born
- LO
- TCO
- Saco
- Unionen
- If Metall
- Sociology
- Fafo
- union density
- Norway
- Sweden
- trade union
- unemployment insurance
- a-kassa
- income insurance
- blue-collar worker
- white-collar worker
- Nordic model
- Swedish model
- Ghent system
- foreign-born
- domestic-born
- LO
- TCO
- Saco
- Unionen
- IF Metall
- unionization
- Fafo
- Sociology
- industrial relations
- Ghent effect
- collective agreement
- collective bargaining
- employers' association
Status
Published
Projekt
- Collective Bargaining in Europe
- Trade Unions in Europe (27 EU countries)
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 2245-0157