Youth and trade unions in Spain : re-building links in turbulent times

Abstract

Aquest document és un informe del projecte de recerca "YOUnion - Union for Youth" cofinançat per la European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

The relationship between young people and trade unions is of key importance in order to understand the future of trade unions. The ageing of European societies has also a reflection in one of the most important institutions, trade unions, whose share of young workers' membership remains very low and decreasing (Kahmann 2002). In recent years, workers' organizations both at national and supranational level are trying to address this problem with initiatives to organize young people as well as campaigns to make the union visible for this group (Pedersini 2010, ITUC 2010). This has also been the case of Spain, where trade unions find it particularly difficult to organize young people (Mari 2013, Anton 2007).