Bibliographie complète

The past two decades have seen the emergence of new forms of international employee representation within multinational corporations. In EU member states, management in multinationals finds itself having to deal with statutory European works councils (EWCs), while at a more global level some studies show a rise in the number of solidarity networks and cross-border union alliances. These cross-border union alliances can be defined as groups of union organisations from different countries that represent workers from the same multinational for the purpose of enforcing fundamental worker rights. Under the leadership of some global union federations that have recently made their establishment a strategic priority, cross-border union alliances are of growing interest to organisations seeking to counter the negative effects of globalisation and the increasing power of multinationals. While the establishment of such alliances is not a new phenomenon, recent studies suggest that the current context of globalisation is contributing to their resurgence (Barton and Fairbrother 2009; Croucher and Cotton 2009; Greer and Hauptmeier 2008; Bronfenbrenner 2007; Stevis and Boswell 2007; Harrod and O’Brien 2002). They also have the merit of going beyond the deterministic, even defeatist, views of the various obstacles standing in the way of international cooperation between unions by providing a more nuanced understanding of the conditions in which the new union alliances can be effective.