Partssamverkan i nedläggningsprocesser

The main topic of this thesis is union-management relations during plant closures. The thesis includes five papers.The first paper is based on a case study that illustrates how management and unions can exchange numerical flexibility with social responsibility to create favorable solutions. This is called a “local flexicurity model in restructuring processes.” The second paper is based on multiple case studies and stresses the importance of longer transition periods that include active Human Resource Management (HRM) efforts toward the local community, which are labeled as “outreach HRM.” The benefit of a longer transition period is that it gives employees, unions and local communities time to plan activities that may mitigate the adverse effects of the closure. The third paper addresses the dynamics of the local labor market and jobseekers’ willingness to commute to work, showing how socio-economic factors affect an individual’s willingness to commute. This implies that socio-economic factors may affect the ability to reconnect to new employment. The fourth paper is based on two case studies. It develops a typology of patterns in union-management relations, which is described as coordination and separation, and it reveals five key factors that contribute to creating the different patterns. It also shows how tension between management and labor can be reduced. The fifth paper is an international comparative study of Sweden and Australia. The paper deals with institutional differences with regard to how mass redundancies and plant closures are handled. Regulations that facilitate the voice of the union and employees are critically examined and illustrated through cases from both countries.Partly based on the five papers, the thesis proposes a model that addresses union-management relations in plant closures. The model takes context, process and outcomes into account. Finally, it discusses recommendations for further research.