“Acting out” institutions. A cross‐sector analysis of local unions' response and practices of resistance to collective redundancy in Belgium
| Date | 04 October 2011 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01425451111174085 |
| Published date | 04 October 2011 |
| Pages | 592-606 |
| Author | Vickie Dekocker,Valeria Pulignano,Albert Martens |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
“Acting out” institutions
A cross-sector analysis of local unions’
response and practices of resistance to
collective redundancy in Belgium
Vickie Dekocker, Valeria Pulignano and Albert Martens
Centre for Sociological Research, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven,
Belgium
Abstract
Purpose – Restructuring has assumed a significant importance across Europe due to the growing
pressures of internationalisation affecting transnational capital. By drawing from two case-studies in
the public health service and the manufacturing sector in Belgium, this paper aims to present evidence
of the local unions’ capacity to strategically use the industrial relations institutional framework, which
foresees the rights of employee representatives to make a proposal for an alternative plan to
restructuring, in order to fight redundancy at the workplace.
Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a new institutionalist approach in social science
and political economy which emphasises social agency and actor capacity to influence and shape their
institutional context. The research design was based on two case studies. The methodology was
qualitative and comparative.
Findings – There is diversity in the process of collective resistance to company restructuring,
highlighting different combinations of external and internal union capabilities at the core of such
diversity. However, the study also illustrates commonality regarding union strategy to manipulate the
national legal framework in order to combat collective redundancy.
Practical implications – The research results inform unions’ practices and policy making with
regard to the social process and the outcomes of company restructuring.
Social implications – The paper has important social implications with regard to unions’ strategies
of resistance and bargaining processes in situations of company restructuring.
Originality/value – The paper provides support for neo-institutionalism as an insightful way of
understanding local unions’ responses to collective redundancy in Belgium.
Keywords Workplaceconflict, Industrial action, Belgium,Trade unions, Organizationalrestructuring,
Health services,Manufacturing industries, Industrial relations, Redundancy
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Companies in many industrialised countries have experienced significant changes in
their work and production organisation during the last few decades. Innovation in the
fields of technology and communications has supported worldwide production and
created global competition. In order to cope with this competition, restructuring has
occurred, both within and across organisations. More specifically, new flexible work
organisation has been developed in order to fulfil product demand, and mergers and
acquisitions between different enterprises and company delocalisation have taken
place in response to the increase in international competition. Rationalisation processes
have induced costs reduction. These processes have taken place in both private and
public sectors. Several recent studies have investigated company restructuring by
focusing mainly on its effect on economic and organisational efficiency (Barrett et al.,
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33,6
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Employee Relations
Vol. 33 No. 6, 2011
pp. 592-606
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/01425451111174085
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