Trade Union Development In Central And Eastern Europe - The "the Velvet Revolution" European Union Accession And Beyond : "The Velvet Revolution" European Union Accession and Beyond

Description

Trade Union Development in Central and Eastern Europe – the‘‘The Velvet Revolution’’ European Union Accession and BeyondThis special issue of the Journal, which focuses on the development of ‘‘free tradeunions’’ in the former Soviet block countries, is probably unique. It does not for themost part rely on academics for the contributions contained with in it. Quite the reverse,the editorial board decided to invite selected ‘‘players’’ who took part in the changes ofthe late 1980s which ended the ‘‘socialist experiment’’ and opened the way for thosecountries to travel the highway from command to market economies. With fewexceptions, the articles are short on ‘‘notes’’ and ‘‘references’’. This ought not to besurprising. The contributors are writing from their own experiences. They lived inthe ‘‘old regime’’ and were involved in the various activities that brought about thechanges. They also served in senior positions in the trade union movement in the ‘‘postcommunist’’period. In some cases they were involved in the trade unions of the ‘‘oldregime’’.So far, no academics have had access to them – probably because of their seniority,the calls on their time and to some extent, their experience and consequent distrust ofacademics who are inclined to hold pre-conceived ideas and manipulate informationgiven in good faith to conform to some theoretical model.Perhaps it is a good thing. It will certainly be refreshing to read accounts of whatactually happened by people who lived through the great changes of 1989 in their ownwords. People who were on the streets, who attended meetings and demonstrations,who were frightened at times, who were never sure that the authorities would give uppower and who knew only to well the price that would have to be paid if the ‘‘reformmovement’’ failed. So many times in their lives, campaigns to merely temper theharshness and rigidities of the regime, had lead to tanks, prison, and exile and in manycases torture and death.It must be remembered that in many cases these activists were never looking for anend to ‘‘socialism’’. They were just asking for a more tolerant and less rigid regimewhich made allowances for personal freedoms and which allowed citizens to fulfil theirfull potential. Some of these activists are horrified at what capitalism has done to the lives of the ordinary men and women in the former ‘‘socialist countries’’. Gone is thestate paternalism, which provided full employment, free health care, nurseries, free orcheap transport, cheap holidays, and security in old age. The rigors of the ‘‘market’’they have found are incapable of compassion or altruism and are deaf to the cries of theyoung, the infirm and the vulnerable in society, although it provides greatopportunities for the strong, young and – it has to be said – the ruthless and hardhearted within society. The extent of the ‘‘changes’’ was as much a shock to them, as itwas to observers in the West.The contributors are all connected to the graphical and media industries in Europe.Hence there in a coherence – a pattern and consistency in the various accounts thatassess the ‘‘transition’’ from communism to capitalism in terms of what it has meant foremployee relations and workers organisations in Central and Eastern Europe.It is hoped that colleagues with an interest in other sectors might carry out similarstudies and thus allow us to make comparisons as to the extent that the experiences inthe graphical sector is typical of what was happening elsewhere.The editor would very much wish to place on record his gratitude to thecontributors who are either still in senior trade union posts in their respectivecountries, or who have only recently retired. Through them we are able to share firsthand the aspirations and hopes of working people in the early days of the ‘‘velvetrevolution’’ – how those dreams faded in disillusionment and finally how theyacquiesced to the norms of the West European Model which is more or a less a modern‘‘mixed economy’’ characterised by a not always easy symbiosis between the propensityto intervene by the ‘‘state’’ and the anarchy and heartlessness of ‘‘the free market’’. Letthe articles and the voices of these people who where there at the time speak forthemselves. Geoff Hayward Guest Editor Previously published in: Employee Relations, Volume 27, Number 6, 2005