From a liberal to a post-liberal welfare state: The change of trade unions' social policy activities in Switzerland

The article reconstructs the development of the Swiss welfare state against the background of the transformation of trade unions' social policy activities. It detects a sequence trade unions' activities in social policy which runs uniformly to the development of the welfare state. While in the liberal phase of the Swiss welfare state trade unions were sceptical of national social policy and preferred mutual insurance and collective bargaining, in its post-liberal phase they have become proponents of national social policy legislation. With reference to the explanation of the development of the Swiss welfare state, the articles concludes to consider not only the influence of political institutions like direct democracy and federalism but also the development of trade unions and industrial relations.