- Hardcover: 232 pages
- Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 1 edition (24 Nov 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0230233309
- ISBN-13: 978-0230233300
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.5 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,138,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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'This is a unique and valuable contribution to research on post communist reform of labour, which combines comparative analysis at a grassroots level with the broader reform initiatives. The result is both an optimistic and realistic assessment of the impediments to further reform, identifying the key force for change, labour itself.' - Bill Taylor, Fulbright Senior Fellow, Cornell University and Asia Programs Fellow, Harvard University, USA, and Associate Professor, City University of Hong Kong
'This is vital reading for students of comparative employment relations, and anyone interested in the future of the labour movement.' - Sarah Ashwin, Professor of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
'Tim Pringle and Simon Clarke offer the clearest picture yet of the ways in which trade unions in Russia, China, and Vietnam are struggling to respond to transformed employment relations and worker activism, as well as the obstacles to and possibilities for meaningful trade union reform.' - Martin Hart-Lansberg, Professor of Economics, Director of the Political Economy Program, Lewis and Clark College, USA
'A major achievement: essential to understand the prospects of those nearly one billion workers that have entered the global labour market after the demise of state socialism.' - Guglielmo Meardi, Associate Professor of Industrial Relations, Warwick Business School, UK
Product Description
The integration of the former state-socialist countries into the global capitalist economy has eroded the privileges of the traditional working class and confronted a new generation of workers with low pay and poor working conditions. This book explores the extent to which the trade unions in Russia, China and Vietnam have risen to the challenge of representing the rights and interests of workers displaced from state enterprises and workers employed in the new global factories. Pringle and Clarke argue that the driving force of reform has been the challenge of labour unrest. They demonstrate that the extent of reform has been constrained by the political subordination of the trade unions in all three countries, and that the key to further reform is the achievement of freedom of association.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Hardcover
Pringle and Clarke have written a very useful survey of trade union activity in Russia, China and Vietnam. They show how the workers of those countries, are organising to fight for better pay and conditions.
They note, "under Stalin ... soviet workers' resistance to arbitrary, incompetent or unjust management remained constant and pervasive ... strikes ... were usually settled in the traditional soviet way, with immediate concessions designed to placate and isolate the striking workers ..."
The authors observe, "Although the principal barrier to effective trade union representation in all three countries is the weakness of primary organisations and their close dependence on management, higher trade union bodies have sought to adapt to this situation rather than seeking to strengthen and energise their primary organisations. ...
"Rather than strengthening the role of primary organisations in collective bargaining, the trade unions in all three countries have sought to by-pass them either by negotiating sectoral and territorial agreements or by attempting to pass the negotiation of collective agreements to officers of the higher-level trade union organisation, in both cases relying on state agencies and minimum labour standards to pressure the employer to agree."
They claim that in Russia trade unions have made more progress than in China and Vietnam. They give examples of good practice.
They write about the well-organised Russian health service workers' union, "the trade union also faced new challenges, in particular the proposal of the government to abolish the United Tariff Scale (UTS) that regulated the wages of all public employees, and to devolve responsibility for public-sector finances, and correspondingly for the level of provision of public services and wage-setting, to regional and local authorities, which would inevitably lead to large differentials in pay between more and less prosperous regions. The central demands of the trade union were that the United Tariff Scale should be preserved, to guarantee equal pay for equal work, and that the lowest point on the UTS should be set at the level of the subsistence minimum, to guarantee a living wage for all." In October 2004, a million health workers struck. As a result, the lowest grade won a pay increase from 110 to 600 roubles and public sector wages rose by 20 per cent from 1 January 2005 and then by 50 per cent, in stages, over the next three years.
The authors observe, "The privatisation of housing provision led to a massive decline in house construction during the 1990s, while the collapse of investment led to a similar decline in industrial and public construction."
They point out, "the construction workers' union has responded to the latter [the increasing number of foreign migrant workers in the industry] not by seeking to exclude migrant labour but by recruiting foreign workers into trade union membership, regardless of their legal status."
The authors quote the chairman of the building workers' regional committee in Samara, "The trade union is a fighting organisation, not a charitable one. ... Only competently organised pressure upon employers brings a positive result." This union has waged about five disputes a year, winning most of them. In 2001, it prevented the bankruptcy of a large building materials combine and in 2006 it prevented the closure of a large construction project.
Metal workers at Siberian Ore won a 20 per cent wage increase in 2007. Ford workers won a substantial pay increase in 2009 and a 12 per cent rise the next year.
Workers have to build their unions step by step, by organising at the workplace.
They note, "under Stalin ... soviet workers' resistance to arbitrary, incompetent or unjust management remained constant and pervasive ... strikes ... were usually settled in the traditional soviet way, with immediate concessions designed to placate and isolate the striking workers ..."
The authors observe, "Although the principal barrier to effective trade union representation in all three countries is the weakness of primary organisations and their close dependence on management, higher trade union bodies have sought to adapt to this situation rather than seeking to strengthen and energise their primary organisations. ...
"Rather than strengthening the role of primary organisations in collective bargaining, the trade unions in all three countries have sought to by-pass them either by negotiating sectoral and territorial agreements or by attempting to pass the negotiation of collective agreements to officers of the higher-level trade union organisation, in both cases relying on state agencies and minimum labour standards to pressure the employer to agree."
They claim that in Russia trade unions have made more progress than in China and Vietnam. They give examples of good practice.
They write about the well-organised Russian health service workers' union, "the trade union also faced new challenges, in particular the proposal of the government to abolish the United Tariff Scale (UTS) that regulated the wages of all public employees, and to devolve responsibility for public-sector finances, and correspondingly for the level of provision of public services and wage-setting, to regional and local authorities, which would inevitably lead to large differentials in pay between more and less prosperous regions. The central demands of the trade union were that the United Tariff Scale should be preserved, to guarantee equal pay for equal work, and that the lowest point on the UTS should be set at the level of the subsistence minimum, to guarantee a living wage for all." In October 2004, a million health workers struck. As a result, the lowest grade won a pay increase from 110 to 600 roubles and public sector wages rose by 20 per cent from 1 January 2005 and then by 50 per cent, in stages, over the next three years.
The authors observe, "The privatisation of housing provision led to a massive decline in house construction during the 1990s, while the collapse of investment led to a similar decline in industrial and public construction."
They point out, "the construction workers' union has responded to the latter [the increasing number of foreign migrant workers in the industry] not by seeking to exclude migrant labour but by recruiting foreign workers into trade union membership, regardless of their legal status."
The authors quote the chairman of the building workers' regional committee in Samara, "The trade union is a fighting organisation, not a charitable one. ... Only competently organised pressure upon employers brings a positive result." This union has waged about five disputes a year, winning most of them. In 2001, it prevented the bankruptcy of a large building materials combine and in 2006 it prevented the closure of a large construction project.
Metal workers at Siberian Ore won a 20 per cent wage increase in 2007. Ford workers won a substantial pay increase in 2009 and a 12 per cent rise the next year.
Workers have to build their unions step by step, by organising at the workplace.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Very useful study of trade unions in Russia, China and Vietnam
7 Feb 2012
Format:Hardcover
Pringle and Clarke have written a very useful survey of trade union activity in Russia, China and Vietnam. They show how the workers of those countries, are organising to fight for better pay and conditions.
They note, "under Stalin ... soviet workers' resistance to arbitrary, incompetent or unjust management remained constant and pervasive ... strikes ... were usually settled in the traditional soviet way, with immediate concessions designed to placate and isolate the striking workers ..."
The authors observe, "Although the principal barrier to effective trade union representation in all three countries is the weakness of primary organisations and their close dependence on management, higher trade union bodies have sought to adapt to this situation rather than seeking to strengthen and energise their primary organisations. ...
"Rather than strengthening the role of primary organisations in collective bargaining, the trade unions in all three countries have sought to by-pass them either by negotiating sectoral and territorial agreements or by attempting to pass the negotiation of collective agreements to officers of the higher-level trade union organisation, in both cases relying on state agencies and minimum labour standards to pressure the employer to agree."
They claim that in Russia trade unions have made more progress than in China and Vietnam. They give examples of good practice.
They write about the well-organised Russian health service workers' union, "the trade union also faced new challenges, in particular the proposal of the government to abolish the United Tariff Scale (UTS) that regulated the wages of all public employees, and to devolve responsibility for public-sector finances, and correspondingly for the level of provision of public services and wage-setting, to regional and local authorities, which would inevitably lead to large differentials in pay between more and less prosperous regions. The central demands of the trade union were that the United Tariff Scale should be preserved, to guarantee equal pay for equal work, and that the lowest point on the UTS should be set at the level of the subsistence minimum, to guarantee a living wage for all." In October 2004, a million health workers struck. As a result, the lowest grade won a pay increase from 110 to 600 roubles and public sector wages rose by 20 per cent from 1 January 2005 and then by 50 per cent, in stages, over the next three years.
The authors observe, "The privatisation of housing provision led to a massive decline in house construction during the 1990s, while the collapse of investment led to a similar decline in industrial and public construction."
They point out, "the construction workers' union has responded to the latter [the increasing number of foreign migrant workers in the industry] not by seeking to exclude migrant labour but by recruiting foreign workers into trade union membership, regardless of their legal status."
The authors quote the chairman of the building workers' regional committee in Samara, "The trade union is a fighting organisation, not a charitable one. ... Only competently organised pressure upon employers brings a positive result." This union has waged about five disputes a year, winning most of them. In 2001, it prevented the bankruptcy of a large building materials combine and in 2006 it prevented the closure of a large construction project.
Metal workers at Siberian Ore won a 20 per cent wage increase in 2007. Ford workers won a substantial pay increase in 2009 and a 12 per cent rise the next year.
Workers have to build their unions step by step, by organising at the workplace.
They note, "under Stalin ... soviet workers' resistance to arbitrary, incompetent or unjust management remained constant and pervasive ... strikes ... were usually settled in the traditional soviet way, with immediate concessions designed to placate and isolate the striking workers ..."
The authors observe, "Although the principal barrier to effective trade union representation in all three countries is the weakness of primary organisations and their close dependence on management, higher trade union bodies have sought to adapt to this situation rather than seeking to strengthen and energise their primary organisations. ...
"Rather than strengthening the role of primary organisations in collective bargaining, the trade unions in all three countries have sought to by-pass them either by negotiating sectoral and territorial agreements or by attempting to pass the negotiation of collective agreements to officers of the higher-level trade union organisation, in both cases relying on state agencies and minimum labour standards to pressure the employer to agree."
They claim that in Russia trade unions have made more progress than in China and Vietnam. They give examples of good practice.
They write about the well-organised Russian health service workers' union, "the trade union also faced new challenges, in particular the proposal of the government to abolish the United Tariff Scale (UTS) that regulated the wages of all public employees, and to devolve responsibility for public-sector finances, and correspondingly for the level of provision of public services and wage-setting, to regional and local authorities, which would inevitably lead to large differentials in pay between more and less prosperous regions. The central demands of the trade union were that the United Tariff Scale should be preserved, to guarantee equal pay for equal work, and that the lowest point on the UTS should be set at the level of the subsistence minimum, to guarantee a living wage for all." In October 2004, a million health workers struck. As a result, the lowest grade won a pay increase from 110 to 600 roubles and public sector wages rose by 20 per cent from 1 January 2005 and then by 50 per cent, in stages, over the next three years.
The authors observe, "The privatisation of housing provision led to a massive decline in house construction during the 1990s, while the collapse of investment led to a similar decline in industrial and public construction."
They point out, "the construction workers' union has responded to the latter [the increasing number of foreign migrant workers in the industry] not by seeking to exclude migrant labour but by recruiting foreign workers into trade union membership, regardless of their legal status."
The authors quote the chairman of the building workers' regional committee in Samara, "The trade union is a fighting organisation, not a charitable one. ... Only competently organised pressure upon employers brings a positive result." This union has waged about five disputes a year, winning most of them. In 2001, it prevented the bankruptcy of a large building materials combine and in 2006 it prevented the closure of a large construction project.
Metal workers at Siberian Ore won a 20 per cent wage increase in 2007. Ford workers won a substantial pay increase in 2009 and a 12 per cent rise the next year.
Workers have to build their unions step by step, by organising at the workplace.
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