> > Date: Sun, 13 Oct 1996 21:53:52 +1000 > From: bill mitchell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: PEN-L: ; > Subject: scandinavian unions > > Robert > > Well the scandinavian unions might have done that. of-course, in > sweden they also explicitly gained wage increases in an economy > which was floating on the export of armaments (presumably to > terrorists and imperialists). The arms export was wrong, and disappointing when you look at how the Scandanavian countries' foreign policy was much better than other European countries in many ways. (It seems that the ANC government in South Africa is pursuing the same policy.) Still, I don't know if that was so substantial economically to justify dismissing the whole Swedish experience. I said "did" on purpose, as you notice, because many of the institutions of social democracy broke down. Why they did is a complex question, which I am far from being the best person to answer, but my sense is that 1) there was not enough insulation from the international economy 2) the employers saw an opportunity to undermine social democracy when labor was much weaker politically than it had been when the institutions of social democracy were set up 3) the employers had played nicely for so long that the unions became complacent 4) there was a breakdown of the social solidarity that sustained social democracy 5) the central labor bodies lost control of the high-skill workers. if you want to have an independent economic policy over the long run, you have to shelter your economy from the international market. they didn't do that. sweden has gone so far as to join the e.u. that's the epitaph for social democracy in sweden. > But recent history (and i note robert > says "did"), doesn't bear that well, except perhaps for norway > (although trond might be able to say more about that). The > following table is taken from a book i am writing at present and > leaves out all the other oecd economies. it shows that to fight > inflation, unemployment has been pushed up so the capitalists are > not threatened by wage cost pressures. if the unions were in control > of the situation how come there has been an abandonment of full > employment in finland, sweden and to a certain extent norway. the > USA looks good - no? ___________________________________ Robert Naiman 1821 W. Cullerton Chicago Il 60608-2716 (h) 312-421-1776 Urban Planning and Policy (M/C 348) 1007 W. Harrison Room 1180 Chicago, Il 60607-7137 (o) 312-996-2126 (voice mail) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://icarus.uic.edu/~rnaima1/
