Political Shifts and Worker Representation: Trade Union Effectiveness in Interwar and Post-war Romania

Abstract

Little has been written about the contribution of trade unions to the formation of modern Romanian society or about Romanian trade union history in general. Despite their potential as instruments of social peace and justice, the interaction between political regimes, labour rights, and trade union effectiveness in Romania has been understudied. By stripping the history of trade unions from the distortions imposed during the Soviet-type dictatorship and focusing on key strikes and labour movements in the Jiu Valley—Romania’s major coal basin and important labour centre during the interwar and post-war period—this study aims to examine Romanian political systems and historical conjunctures through the lens of trade union effectiveness. It investigates if trade unions fulfilled their intended role under different regimes and whether legal frameworks, such as provisions for freedom of association, were genuinely implemented or remained legal fictions. This perspective is insightful for understanding the marginalised role and diminished importance of trade unions today, illustrating how the legacy of fictitious workers’ representation has had long-lasting repercussions.