Trade unions strategies in the face of liberalisation: lessons from the Portuguese metal and textile sectors post-2003 Labour Code

Abstract

Scholars in the Social Sciences have depicted trade unions either as facilitators of two-tier liberalisation processes or solidaristic organisations that reject liberalisation altogether. The purpose of this paper is to understand what determines the different strategies of unions in the face of liberalisation. Focus is put on the Portuguese metal and textiles sectoral unions’ strategies in approaching the liberalising reform of collective bargaining in 2003. The results obtained through content analysis and interviews demonstrate the importance of ideological factors, sectoral institutional context, and individual agency in defining and differentiating how trade unions approach liberalisation.