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...complementary to the union and works council, to achieve a favourable outcome. The case is used to test theoretical propositions derived from literature on Hi-Tech workers, union renewal and mobilization theory and it is suggested that mobilization theory requires further extension in several directions.

RESUME

La formation d'un reseau et un regain du syndicalisme en Allemagne : le cas du Siemenskonflikt

Cet essai analyse la formation d'un reseau chez les salaries de l'usine Siemens Hofmannstrasse de Munich, Allemagne. Il s'agit d'un des cas de reseaux qui ont fait recemment leur apparition en Allemagne et qui presentent un developpement remarquable tres peu analyse de l'autoorganisation des travailleurs. Lorsqu'est survenue l'annonce de mises a pied chez les cols blancs hautement specialises de l'usine, un reseau de salaries s'est forme pour fonctionner au sein d'une synergie creatrice et chargee de tensions entre le comite d'entreprise (Betriebsrat) et le syndicat IG Metall (IGM). Sans etre une alternative a ces institutions, le reseau representait a la fois un ajout et une faction critique a l'interieur de celles-ci. Il s'est avere une force puissante en aidant a resister aux mises a pied et il s'est allie par la suite a d'autres reseaux d'employes, posant de serieuses questions au syndicat : s'agissait-il d'une occasion ou d'une menace pour lui ? Cette etude s'interesse alors a ce qui est, d'une maniere paradoxale, un secteur neglige de l'etude du regain du syndicalisme, c'est-a-dire l'auto-organisation des travailleurs et la relation que le syndicat entretient avec elle. L'etude s'inscrit dans le contexte allemand, supposement le coeur du > de la representation des travailleurs. S'il devait se renouveler ainsi, l'impact sur un plan international plus large pourrait etre important.

Notre premiere hypothese s'enoncait de la maniere suivante : >. Cette hypothese est fortement appuyee. Le comite d'entreprise et le syndicat ont tous deux reconnu la contribution significative du reseau a la mobilisation. Ce dernier donnait aux employes un acces a une activite concertee. Il contribuait a donner un caractere collectif a l'enjeu des excedents de main-d'oeuvre. En prenant en charge les emotions et les interets comme points de depart, il a cree un espace de discussion qu'aucune autre institution ne pouvait offrir. En permettant l'expression des emotions, le reseau a facilite chez les salaries la volonte de defendre activement leurs emplois. En second lieu, le reseau a encourage les salaries a poser des gestes d'eclat, parce qu'il relevait le niveau d'association entre eux. Tous les repondants etaient d'accord pour soutenir qu'il s'agissait la d'une condition sine qua non de la presence du conflit chez Siemens.

Notre deuxieme hypothese s'enoncait ainsi : >. Cette proposition a ete rejetee. Ces travailleurs du secteur des technologies de pointe voyaient un role important et soutenu pour le reseau, mais sous l'angle d'un element d'une association plus large avec le comite d'entreprise et le syndicat. Les travailleurs manifestaient un interet fortement accru aux trois types d'organisation tant pendant qu'apres le conflit. Par consequent, le reseau a contribue au regain du syndicalisme. Pendant que le reseau permettait des niveaux eleves d'association et d'expression, le comite d'entreprise offrait une representation ad hoc et le syndicat possedait des ressources et des droits de negociation collective que les deux autres n'avaient pas.

Notre troisieme hypothese etait formulee de la maniere suivante : >. Cette proposition se voit appuyee, puisque le reseau accordait d'une maniere certaine une priorite aux deux types d'activite. Tout en montrant un interet pour des enjeux de negociation collective, le reseau n'a jamais pretendu jouer un role en negociation. De toute facon, il serait extremement difficile de deplacer le syndicat, fortement appuye par la legislation, pendant un conflit. La situation favorisait fortement le reseau a emprunter une approche autre que celle de la negociation collective.

Notre quatrieme hypothese etait a l'effet que : >. Cette proposition est largement appuyee, car bien que le syndicat et le groupe syndical du comite d'entreprise aient des le depart apporte leur soutien au reseau, ils ont coupe leur relation avec le reseau apres le conflit. Quoique les raisons d'une telle rupture fussent discutables, toutes les parties ont reconnu que les critiques du reseau envers le syndicat en ont constitue une cause importante. On peut pretendre que les syndicats, a titre d'institutions representatives, en choisissant de promouvoir certains interets et pas d'autres, sont incapables d'une collaboration a long terme avec des formes d'auto-organisation plutot >.

Notre derniere proposition etait a l'effet que : >. En effet, la theorie s'est averee utile, mais avec certaines reserves. La mobilisation implique trois acteurs et nous presentons succinctement l'apport de chacun aux trois processus vitaux de l'imputation, de l'identite sociale et du leadership.

Una red laboral alemana y la renovacion sindical : El Siemenskonflikt

El articulo muestra como resisten los trabajadores "hi-tech" (altamente calificados) a los licenciamientos en una gran compatira alemana. Se detalla la emergencia de una red laboral destinada a brindar apoyo a los individuos y presentar casos legales contra la compatira; se analiza las normas y el funcionamiento de dicha red. La red funciona de manera complementaria al sindicato y al consejo laboral, para lograr un resultado favorable. El caso es utilizado para evaluar las proposiciones teoricas derivadas de la literatura sobre los trabajadoresaltamente calificados, la renovacion sindical y la teoria de la mobilizacion y se sugiere que la teoria de la mobilizacion requiere mayor desarrollo en diversas direcciones.

**********

This paper examines the emergence of an employee network at Siemens Hofmannstrasse plant in Munich, Germany. It is one of a number of such networks to have emerged in Germany in recent years in an interesting development in worker self-organization that has been little discussed. When redundancies were announced among "Hi-Tech" white-collar workers at the plant, an employee network emerged, that operated in a creative but tension-ridden synergy with the works council (Betriebsrat) and trade union IG Metall (IGM). The network is not an alternative to these institutions, but both an adjunct to them and a critical faction within them. It proved a dynamic force in helping to resist redundancies, and has since linked up with other employee networks, posing significant issues for the union: was this an opportunity or a threat for them? The paper therefore addresses what is paradoxically a neglected area of union renewal, i.e. worker self-organization and how a union interacted with it. It does so in the German context, arguably the core of the "European model" of worker representation. If it were to renew itself, the wider international resonance would be great.

The paper is structured as follows. Initially, literature is reviewed to generate a set of theoretical propositions about Hi-Tech workers, their behaviours and interactions with unions. The case study forms the bulk of the paper, in which we outline the origins and activities of the employee network and its relations with the works council and union, using mobilization theory to analyze the different roles of each institution. Finally, we conclude by reflecting on the initial propositions, the experience and its significance. Inter alia, we offer some suggestions as to how mobilization theory might be further extended.

LITERATURE

What Facilitates Mobilization among Hi-Tech Workers?

It has been widely argued that unions need new approaches to mobilizing and organizing workers (see for example Nissen, 1999; Turner et al., 2001; Voss and Sherman, 2000). Jarley (2005: 615) refers to a general need for unions to invest in "social capital" in order to make workers more likely to mobilize. Similarly, Johnson and Jarley (2005), drawing on experience in programmes aimed at young workers, suggest they are more likely to act in solidaristic ways if unions can draw on "network density" increased by associational activity. For several other North American authors, "associational" forms of organization (Heckscher, 1996; Wald, 1998; Benner, 2002; Van Jaarsveld, 2004) resembling professional associations, emphasizing mutual assistance, are particularly appropriate vehicles for Hi-Tech workers. In the WashTech/CWA case analyzed by Van Jaarsveld, WashTech emphasized mutual assistance and political action because of the difficulty in breaking into collective bargaining. Hence, all of these researchers stress the importance of networking, building associational ties at local level, political activity and mutual aid both for mobilizing and organizing Hi-Tech workers. Our first proposition is therefore: that emphasizing non-collective bargaining approaches may facilitate mobilization. Our second proposition is that these workers are likely to show a preference for non-traditional forms of collective organization. A third, closely related proposition is derived from the same researchers: that Hi-Tech workers' organizations are likely to prioritize political and mutual aid activities over other possible fields of activity such as collective bargaining.

Institutional Embeddedness and Institutional Competition

Unions internationally have reviewed how they organize and operate. There has been much discussion on unions in Liberal Market Economies (LMEs), but prospects for union renewal globally are strongly affected by unions in Co-Ordinated Market Economies (CMEs). German unions exert strong influence in both European trade union institutions such as the ETUC and more widely in Global Union Federations because of their strong finances and perceived strength (Muller et al., 2003). This reflects the national context in which they operate. CMEs are so-called because they have high levels of institutional co-ordination, building high-trust, stable and long-term relationships between state, employers and unions (Hall and Soskice, 2001). Unions in CMEs are therefore situated in a very different broad social, political and economic context from their counterparts in LMEs, with consequences for how they seek to maintain their...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



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