Political Strikes in the European Crisis

Dr. Florian Wilde (Rosa Luxemburg Foundation)

PODEMOS Summer University

Florian WildePolitical Strikes in the European Crisis

Florian WildePolitical Strikes in the European Crisis

A Typology of Strikes

DIRECTION economic vs. political strikeEXTENSION sectoral vs. general strikeFUNCTION self-determined goals (offensive strike) vs.

defensive against economic or political goals (defensive strike)

FORM demonstrative strike vs. fighting strikes

(based on Rosa Luxemburg, The Mass Strike, the Political Party and the Trade Unions [1906])

Florian WildePolitical Strikes in the European Crisis

Strikes in the European Crisis

Political, general, defensive, demonstrative strikes:

• Against national governments, EU, Troika • Across sectors • Against cuts • Limited to one or two days (symbolic)

General Strikes in Europe,Sept. 2008-Sept 2012:

36

Greece 16

Italy 8

France 6

Portugal 3

Spain 2

Belgium 1

Florian WildePolitical Strikes in the European Crisis

1980-89 1990-99 2000-08 Sept. 2008- Sept. 2012

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

General Strikes in Europe since 1980

Spalte1

Quelle: Kelly/Hamann 2010

Florian WildePolitical Strikes in the European Crisis

The rise of the political strikes in Western Europe

Economic and General Strikes (EU-15 plus Norway), 1980-2011

Source: Hamann et al. 2012

Source: Hamann et al. 2012

02468

101214161820

General strikes Economic strikes median days lost per 10000 workers

Germany, the big black hole in the map of General Strikes in Europe

Strike numbers: Germay and other countries

Strikes and wages

Decline of Strikes in Germany 1970-2004

Slow return of strikes in Germany, 2004-14

Decline of Union members in Germany