The Role of the Trade Unions in Social Restructuring in Scandinavia in the 1990s

Abstract

Social restructuring in Scandinavia during the 1990s has taken different national directions, but no firm retrenchment policies have been implemented. Reforms of labour market regulation and social protection systems cannot be explained without reference to the trade unions. In corporatist arrangements and direct contacts to both politicians and bureaucrats they perform key political actor roles, influencing policies and public debates. The organizations have most important knowledge, resources, points of view and veto points in the systems, and they have used their resources and capabilities to avoid neo-liberal experiments in public policies during the last decade. The labour market organization s’ own collective bargaining systems are, however, also allocation of values and welfare elements, and both developments in industrial relations and social policies are investigated. Sweden has changed not only benefit levels but also decision systems more than Denmark and Norway, decentralizing industrial decision-making and decreasing the importance of administrative corporatism. Contrary to this, Denmark strengthened corporatism in the 90s, resulting in better labour market performance. No big systemic change has happened in Norway, but it goes for all three countries that path dependent developments can be recorded.