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Wed 22 March
    8:30
    10:45
    14:15
    16:30

Thu 23 March
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    14:15
    16:30

Fri 24 March
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    10:45
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    16:30

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    10:45
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Wednesday 22 March 2006 16:30
J-4 LAB07 Strikes in International Perspective II: Belgium, the Netherlands and France
Room J
Network: Labour Chair: Dave Lyddon
Organizer: Heiner Dribbusch Discussant: Heiner Dribbusch
Brigitte Lestrade : Strike activity in France (1970-2000)
This paper analyses strike activities in France between the years 1970 and 2000. there has been a decline in strikes, not quite as important as in other industrialised countries, but nevertheless quite notable. Besides this quantitative development, we observe a shift in motives: French workers who went on strike mostly ... (Show more)
This paper analyses strike activities in France between the years 1970 and 2000. there has been a decline in strikes, not quite as important as in other industrialised countries, but nevertheless quite notable. Besides this quantitative development, we observe a shift in motives: French workers who went on strike mostly in order to defend wage increases or reduction in work hours seem to be more interested nowadays in defending jobs and working conditions. Owing to the growing loss of influence of French labour unions, strikes tend to be less organised and/or more often initiated by workers who are not affiliated to any trade union. (Show less)

Sjaak Van der Velden : Strike movements in the Netherlands, 1970-2000
Since the 1970’s there has been a dramatic decline in strike activity in most western countries. This decline can be seen in the ILO statistics on the subject, but also in the data published by the World Labor Research Working Group (WLG) of the Fernand Braudel Center.
The decline is obvious ... (Show more)
Since the 1970’s there has been a dramatic decline in strike activity in most western countries. This decline can be seen in the ILO statistics on the subject, but also in the data published by the World Labor Research Working Group (WLG) of the Fernand Braudel Center.
The decline is obvious but the explanation for this decline is multi-faceted. Each country has its own course of history, although the overall development is the same. It looks e.g. as if the differences between the Rhineland and the Anglo-Saxon systems of labour relations do not influence the general developments of strike activity in the respective zones. It may also be however that the seeming decline is a result of false statistics and the exclusion of political strikes to mention only one aspect.
Of course statistics are only one aspect of the story. Even when statistical developments show a decline in strike activity the possibility exists that the remaining strikes have a much bigger economic, political or ideological influence on society than in the preceding era. The reverse is also possible. A high incidence, however measured, may have only a slight influence.
Also, workers or their unions often threat to go on strike while in reality they win some gains just by doing so. These would-be strikes do not enter any statistics.
In my paper I will focus on the differences that exist between official statistics as gathered by the Central Bureau of Statistics (http://www.cbs.nl) and the unofficial data as compiled by me (http://www.iisg.nl/databases/staking.html). (Show less)

Kurt Vandaele : The withering away of strikes in Belgium. The merits of social dialogue or statistical blindness?
In his monumental study about the Low Countries, the great Dutch historian Kossmann remarks that political action outside and against parliament by means of demonstrations and riots is common in Belgium. Within the realm of strike activity, there is also some sketchy evidence of a propensity for striking of the ... (Show more)
In his monumental study about the Low Countries, the great Dutch historian Kossmann remarks that political action outside and against parliament by means of demonstrations and riots is common in Belgium. Within the realm of strike activity, there is also some sketchy evidence of a propensity for striking of the Belgians in the past. Unlike most other West European labour movements, general strikes continued after the First World War. However, based upon the official strike statistics, strikes seem to have withered away in the last decade of the twentieth century. Hence, in a report about decent work of the now-called Belgian Federal Public Service for Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue, the former Labour Ministry, it is stated that “the system of social dialogue seems to prevent social conflict rather efficiently” (Federaal Ministerie van Tewerkstelling en Arbeid, 2002:48).

The aim of this paper is to show why the thesis of the withering away of strikes is very doubtful for the Belgian case. First of all, the availability and reliability of the official strike statistics will be analysed. The paper will try to show that the historians and social researchers must be careful in interpreting official strike data and argue that it is probably better not to rely too much on it to analyse Belgian strike behaviour. Secondly, on the basis of long wave theory, the strikes of the nineties will be put into a historical perspective and will be linked with the trade union membership and the industrial relations system in Belgium. Thirdly, the data of the Centrale Weerstandskas, the central strike fund of the Christian trade union organisation will be used as an alternative resource to explain why the withering away of strikes in Belgium is very doubtful.

Reference
Federaal Ministerie van Tewerkstelling en Arbeid, Belgisch rapport over de kwaliteit van arbeid. Brussel, Federaal Ministerie van Tewerkstelling en Arbeid, 2002, 52p. (Show less)



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