Transnational Restructuring Agreements: General Overview and Specific Evidence from the European Automobile Sector

Abstract

Transnational collective bargaining (TCB) is a relatively recent but expanding phenomenon with significant implications for global industrial relations. In this chapter, after defining and putting TCB into historical perspective, we will concentrate on examining how employee representatives — European works councils (EWCs) and trade unions at different levels (national, European and global) — have begun to negotiate transnational restructuring agreements (TRAs) with multinational firms in Europe and whether this type of TCB has increased during the recent global financial and economic crisis.