Trade unionism and social pacts in Spain in comparative perspective

Abstract

In this article, I contribute to the comparative literature on trade unions and social pacts, through an analysis of Spanish experience between 1996 and 2016. First, I specify the phases of agreement (‘competitive corporatism’) and confrontation. Second, I examine the impact of the agreements and the subsequent breakdown of tripartite social dialogue on the two most representative trade unions. This makes it possible to explain why these unions accumulated so little strength during the period of consensus, and their evident weakness and the risks they have faced since the start of the crisis and the turn to confrontation.