The processes of globalization, Europeanization, together with the ever increasing internationalization of capital and free movement of labour force influence and narrow the negotiation space for national trade unions (TUs). Simultaneously to these top down challenges, TUs are confronted with further bottom up - membership based challenges such as declining membership and low attractiveness to young people. The latter is further strengthening by emergence of alternative forms of interest representation, attracting especially the young. In the new EU member states of the CEE these issues are further augmented by numerous path-dependent as well as contextual factors.
In this situation we are looking for the most proper level of trade union interest representation, from inter- and cross-sectoral, through bilateral and multilateral regional and international cooperation to EU level cooperation to identify effective forms of interest representation in changing times.
