From a handful of activists towards an organising subculture: institutionalisation of transnational union organising in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

In this article the question of how transnational organising has become institutionalised in some trade unions in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is examined by studying three prominent organising initiatives in the region. It is argued that international union networks, facilitated by European integration, and the meagre resources of unions in the region have affected the development of organising with a transnational dimension. Originally initiated by a few activists, by the early 2020s organising has shown some promising results and has become an accepted strategy for strengthening unions. But local unions still lack sufficient resources of their own to organise properly. This has encouraged the institutionalisation of transnational organising. Although this has provided CEE unions with more resources, it also gives rise to problems of its own, notably the need for CEE unions to adjust their operations in accordance with the funding process and funders’ preferences.