The Swedish Trade Union System in Transition: High but Falling Union Density

Summary, in English

The chapter on Sweden in this book on trade union revitalisation in 34 countries analyzes the Swedish model of industrial relations and its current challenges, among them the falling union density. The recent development of industrial relations is characterized in terms of a new mix of decentralisation and centralisation and of self-regulation and state regulation.



Contents of the Swedish chapter:

1. Introduction

2. Separate White-Collar Unions and Confederations

3. Combined Centralisation and Decentralisation

4. Self-Regulation

5. Union Unemployment Funds

6. Very High but Declining Union Density

7. Declining Coverage of Union Workplace Organisations

8. A New Mix of Decentralisation and Centralisation, and of Self-Regulation and State Regulation

9. Other Challenges to Unions

10. Union Responses and Future Prospects

• Author: Anders Kjellberg
• Editor: Craig Phelan
• Department/s: Sociology
• Publishing year: 2007
• Language: English
• Pages: 259-286
• Publication/Series: Trade Union Revitalisation: Trends and Prospects in 34 Countries
• Document type: Book chapter
• Publisher: Peter Lang Publishing Group
• Topic: Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)
• Keywords: Swedish model; TCO; sociology; arbetsliv; state regulation; arbetsmarknad; centralisation; union movement; decentralisation; sociologi; industrial relations; trade unions; a-kassa; facklig organisationsgrad; blue-collar workers; union unemployment fund; SACO; fackförening; Ghent system; white-collar workers; fackförbund; LO; self-regulation; union density; sociologiska institutionen; department of sociology; svenska modellen
• Status: Published
• Project: Union Density in a Global Perspective
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISBN: 978-3-03911-009-4