Labour unrest in the context of multiple crises: a comparative perspective of Europe

By presenting the first comparative data of trade union and workers' protests since Covid-19, based on local sources, this article attempts to fill a significant gap in the empirical research on cross-country comparisons of labour mobilizations. The findings indicate a high level of labour protest activity, with trade unions driving most mobilizations. While elements of social movement unionism can be found in all analysed countries, their intensity and scope vary significantly. We find two patterns in alliance building: the cross-movement coalition in Italy and Greece, where trade unions, grassroots organizations, and social movements unite in major campaigns and the trade union movement coalition pattern prevailing in Belgium, Bulgaria, and Romania, where confederations and federations primarily ally within a given sector or nationally in large-scale protests, with minimal engagement with other civil society actors. Protest tactics also differ across national traditions. In post-socialist states, strikes have diminished in favour of other forms of social movement repertoire, such as demonstrations and rallies. In contrast, in Belgium, Greece, and Italy, strikes remain a key strategy for the labour movement. Finally, our analysis highlights variations in systemic mobilization and differences in public and private sector protests across countries, with Greece exhibiting the highest level of systemic labour unrest, while other cases focus more on workplace-specific issues; additionally, private-sector protests are more prevalent in Belgium and Italy, whereas large-scale public-sector mobilizations, particularly in healthcare, education, and public administration, dominate in Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania.