Transformations of Employment, Flexibility and Industrial Relations in Europe

Between 1950 and 1980, the predominant model in the Central European countries is characterized by full-time, wage-earning and stable full employment with social guarantees. Between 1980 and 1995 the end of the hegemony of such a model of employment in the EU occurs, leading to another one with clearly different features. It is a phenomenon that has mainly to do with a gradual, but deep, change in the pattern of the social and political relations in the European Union countries. Amove away from the full employment model begins to outline, opening the way to other models that maintain high rates of unemployment, high levels of insecurity and a progressive deterioration of the minimum social guarantees. This tendency shows considerable differences among the countries of the EU depending on two main factors; in the first place they have to do with the fortress or weakness of the industrial relations system of each country; and in the second place they are concerned by the incorporation of new labour individuals in the labour force, apart form the national adult male, particularly young people, women and migrants. In general, such collectives are far away from the influence of trade unions, and, because of their distinctive features, they have probably contributed to the consolidation of flexible forms of employment, becoming thus instability as usual.