Industrialization and Politics: A Century of Union Structural Development in Three European Countries

Abstract

Using data from three European countries - Sweden, The Netherlands and Britain - and a period of about one hundred years, this article charts and explains the development of trade union structure. Although the character of the union movements in the three countries differs markedly, the rate of change of union structural events (foundations, dissolutions and mergers) shows considerable similarity. One of the main features of these structural events is that they occur in waves. The article reviews existing explanations of trade union structural development in the light of these findings and suggests how they might be revised.