Trade Union Capacity in the Age of Neoliberalization: Comparative Analysis of Public Sector in Lithuania

Since the end of the Cold War industrial relations (IR) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), on top of inherited ideological-institutional legacies from the Soviet era, have undergone significant structural changes that are widely believed to have diminished organized labor’s power and significance. According to leading political economy and IR approaches, the pattern is the most pronounced in what are referred as neoliberal Baltic states, featuring among the weakest labor movements across CEE that are resembled in lagging behind IR regimes institutionalization, trade union density and collective bargaining coverage. However, when we turn our focus to the public sector explicitly, the manner and degree in which IR regimes have changed across CEE varies in ways that stand in tension with broad widely accepted labels, leading to mistaken ideas. To prove the inconsistency of the exaggerated regional patterns and typologization, this research will assess a strange case of relatively...Show moreSince the end of the Cold War industrial relations (IR) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), on top of inherited ideological-institutional legacies from the Soviet era, have undergone significant structural changes that are widely believed to have diminished organized labor’s power and significance. According to leading political economy and IR approaches, the pattern is the most pronounced in what are referred as neoliberal Baltic states, featuring among the weakest labor movements across CEE that are resembled in lagging behind IR regimes institutionalization, trade union density and collective bargaining coverage. However, when we turn our focus to the public sector explicitly, the manner and degree in which IR regimes have changed across CEE varies in ways that stand in tension with broad widely accepted labels, leading to mistaken ideas. To prove the inconsistency of the exaggerated regional patterns and typologization, this research will assess a strange case of relatively substantive, but varied public healthcare and education organized labor performance in the past few years in Lithuania, discussing both external and internal factors that make up the capacity of trade unions.Show less

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Trade Union Capacity in the Age of Neoliberalization: Comparative Analysis of Public Sector in Lithuania