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Social Movement Unionism and Social Partnership in Germany: The Case of Hamburg's Hospitals
Author(s) -
GREER IAN
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
industrial relations: a journal of economy and society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.61
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1468-232X
pISSN - 0019-8676
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-232x.2008.00537.x
Subject(s) - social partnership , general partnership , political science , social partners , movement (music) , democracy , political economy , social democracy , public administration , economics , politics , law , philosophy , aesthetics
This paper traces the emergence of social movement unionism in Hamburg, Germany, as labor's channels of influence have broken down and economic pressures have intensified. Trade unionists have responded to the privatization of the municipal hospitals by mobilizing members and building coalitions around issues beyond their members’ immediate interests, including democracy and public service quality. Although the loss of union influence has facilitated social movement unionism in much of West Germany, economic crisis has had a demobilizing effect in the east.