ILPC 2027

History tells us that the implementation of industrial relations systems was an effort to regulate the use of labour, one of the fictitious commodities (Polanyi, 1980 [1975]), so that it did not keep totally under the arbitrary rule of self-regulating market mechanisms. Unions are an integral part of this double attempt to struggle, on one hand, for the institutional de-commodification of labour, and on another, for the social, economic and political inclusion of workers in society.

Notwithstanding the mounting transformations, trade unionism maintained itself strongly anchored to the Nation-States´ sphere of regulation and to a national organizational praxis. Although one can say that Unions have been having difficulties in dealing with the new challenges put forward by this new self-regulating market global dystopia, it cannot be denied its capacity as a reflexive social actor, in attempting to develop new organizational, political and ideological perspectives so as to keep its role representing salaried workers. A focus on actor strategies intends to identify renewal practices that can broaden the perspective of trade union action and reverse the decline of organized labour.

Flexibilization and individualization of labour relations weakens union organization and creates obstacles to its action in the workplace. As such, it is important to consider the extent to which adjustments have occurred in the discourse and practice of trade union action so as to enhance its intervention, bargaining power, increase and diversify their members (women, immigrants, part-time workers, contract term or temporary work) in a context of high fragmentation and strong employer resistance to union action. While this is common to all sectors of activity, has become all the more problematic in the new service economy, a sector where most jobs are now created and with a weak tradition of union organization.

The purpose of this paper is to study trade union action in the service sector. Two trade unions where chosen, covering the same sector, one affiliated to UGT and other to CGTP – the two portuguese main trade union confederations. It starts from the assumption that these unions have a different approach to this question, as UGT is more associated do business unionism, and CGTP to opposition unionism with a class based discourse.

Frege and Kelly (AAVV, 2004) identify six strategies for union revitalization: organizing, labour-management partnership, political action, reform of union structures, coalition-building and international solidarity. Nevertheless one should note that this is a context-dependent process where these combine between themselves in different ways in order to enhance the unions´ range of resources.

 In the Portuguese case, the main resource to cope with diminishing resources appears to have been the reform of union structures, through the merger of different trade unions. Nevertheless, there have been different strategies from the two unions in question.

Through documental analysis and interviews to trade union leaders and activists, I will try to identify as far as these processes amount to significant transformations in the Portuguese trade union’s organization, allocation of resources, political discourse and also the outcomes of these “new approaches” to trade union action in the service sector.