AI Summary & Key Takeaways
AI InsightBut with loosening the relationship between union membership and unemployment insurance in 1990s, union density rates has began to decrease in Ghent countries
📌 3 Key Takeaways
Abstract
In recent years, union density rates have been declining particularly in European countries; but only Belgium, Finland, Sweden and Denmark have experienced steady or increasing gains. One can assume that there is a negative correlation between unemployment rate and union density rate, except these four countries. While trade unions are in a deep and dramatic crisis and even there is a hot debate on trade unions’ future in most of the European countries, this exceptional position of four countries is mainly due to their common unemployment insurance system. Only Belgium, Finland, Sweden and Denmark have this voluntary unemployment insurance system that is so-called Ghent system. The unemployment insurance funds are set up and administered by trade unions and members of these funs are generally unionised employees in Ghent system. Thus, Ghent system has a significant influence to build a close relationship between union membership and unemployment insurance and also trade unions actually use unemployment insurance as a recruitment vehicle in Ghent system. But with loosening the relationship between union membership and unemployment insurance in 1990s, union density rates has began to decrease in Ghent countries