Unions on the edge? Industrial relations in multinational companies

The extent and nature of collective employee representation in multinational companies (MNCs) in Ireland has been the subject of intense debate over recent decades. Yet despite numerous commentaries on this and other aspects of industrial relations (IR) in MNCs in Ireland, we have no overall, authoritative picture of the ways in which MNCs manage IR (cf. McDonnell et al., 2007). This chapter reports findings from the first large-scale representative survey of employment practice in MNCs in Ireland. Using data from some 260 MNCs, we present findings on key aspects of IR practice, particularly in regard to trade union recognition and avoidance, collective bargaining and European Works Councils (EWCs). This chapter draws primarily on the results of the first large scale survey of employment practice in multinational companies as reported in Gunnigle, P., Lavelle, J. and McDonnell, A. (2007) 'Human Resource Practices in Multinational Companies in Ireland: A Large-Scale Survey', available: ULIR