Trade unions in Europe

A series of features on trade unions in Europe:

Many large companies are established right across Europe. Works councils, by contrast, lack cross-border solidarity. What are the reasons behind this imbalance, and where have European unions started to redress it?

More and more people are working half-days, going freelance or working on limited contracts. How are Europe's trade unions reacting to these new forms of work?

For years trade unions have been complaining about sinking membership numbers, but this does not apply to all European countries. In northern European countries in particular, a large number of workers belongs to a trade union.