Democracy and Unions: towards a Critical Appraisal

This essay explores the meaning of democracy in unions and the adequacy of indicators of democracy borrowed from the analysis of political systems. Its primary reference point is Italy, where unions are voluntary organizations and multiple confederations have developed along distinct ideological lines. Systems of union representation, unlike systems of political representation, lack clearly defined boundaries and speak for inherently subordinate interests. Voluntary unions, moreover, are by nature both organizations and movements, and depend on consent as political systems do not. In such a context, assessments of democracy must consider both the selection of representatives within each organization (or internal democracy) and the procedures for decision-making among all organizations (or systemic democracy). The essay helps to account for several features of Italian unionism: avoidance of majority rule, leaders' difficulties in controlling the rank-and-file, and cycles of competition among organizations. The essay also hopes to contribute more broadly to a theory of union democracy.