Guglielmo Meardi, Paul Marginson, [Michael Fichter, Marcin Frybes, Miroslav Stanojevic´ and András Tóth]
European Journal of Industrial Relations, 15 , 1, 27–47

Abstract

Relocations within an enlarged Europe are often portrayed as an unavoidable destiny or irresistible threat for workers. The article outlines a number of contingent factors which determine how serious are the threats and how feasible is an effective union response. Such factors are then tested through in-depth case studies of 12 plants in the automotive components sector (where cross-border competition is particularly strong), showing how varied can be the scenarios for industrial relations in multinational companies.