Spanish Trade Unions and European Integration: From the Democratic Transition to the Treaty of Maastricht (1973-1992)

Abstract

The contribution of Spanish trade unions to the process of transition and consolidation of the Spanish democracy has been very much underestimated. The dominating historiographical interpretation has considered them as simple transmission belt of political parties. This general view has been extended to their role in the process of the adhesion of Spain to the European Economic Communities. In reality, Spanish trade unions had been Europeanised very early by their links to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). This article explores the adhesion process to the ETUC, showing the progressive convergence between trade unions in the field of European integration, which started with the adhesion of Spain to the EEC from 1977 to 1985 and continued in their position towards the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992. The paper concludes that there has been a programmatic and strategic autonomy of Spanish trade unions from political parties in their agenda for European integration.