The impact of the EEC and the MNC on the organisation, methods and aims of international trade unionism in Western Europe

Abstract

The principal aim of this paper is to examine the structure of the international labour movement and to attempt to account for the implications that the development of the EEC and the emergence of the multinational corporation have had on the organization, methods and aims of international trade unionism in Western Europe. It comprises five minor sections: 1. From the formation of the First International in 1864 to the Second World War. 2. Post-war international and regional trade union organizations. 3. The emergence of the multinational corporation (MNC) and its implications for trade unions in Western Europe. 4. The response of trade unions to the growth of the MNC. 5. Some final thoughts on the role and influence of the EEC on the evolution of a European System of Industrial Relations.