Transformation of industrial relations in three sectors: the automotive, iron and steel, and naval industries

Abstract

Some of the main features of the transformation of industrial relations in three sectors of the industrial belts of Lisbon and Setúbal are analysed. These sectors are heterogeneous: at times they represent technological and organizational modernization, at other times activities in crisis and regeneration. In all cases, however, they are relevant «laboratories» of new management and labour strategies, and of instances of trade union intervention. They are also important areas of activity for the national economy, for employers and trade unionism, and for the redefinition of the roles of the state. Technical and organizational models are created and recreated in the interaction of social entities, as they confront various political and cultural traditions. Labour relations come into this system, emphasizing the extent of the relations of social forces and the paths that should be favoured in comparative international studies of labour relations.