Notions of Solidarity in Times of Economic Uncertainty

This paper explores emerging notions of solidarity in the discourse and practice of European labour law. New forms of solidarity are giving expression to the increasingly transnational nature of collective bargaining, as well as reflecting the global dimension of economic restructuring and the cross-national impact of the economic and financial crisis. The solutions which are coming to the fore are characterised by a rejection of protectionism and a recognition of the need to adjust labour standards to the multiplicity of interests at stake. The institutional innovations which are most likely to endure are those which recognise an active role for the social partners in framing and implementing solutions.