Socio-economic institutions for the green transition. Comparing labour strategies in Italy and the Netherlands

Social actors face an eco-social-growth trilemma when addressing the ecological transition. This comparative analysis discusses the strategies adopted by metalworkers’ unions to tackle this trilemma in Taranto and IJmuiden. While the transition promises both environmental and public health benefits, it also poses challenges, including job cuts and uncertainties concerning profitability. In the Italian case, the unions prioritise job preservation, with most opposing the transition. In contrast, the Dutch trade unions have adopted an innovative approach, proposing the ‘Groene Staal’ plan that openly accepts redundancies to achieve ecological goals. We explain the difference in terms of socio-economic institutions: IJmuiden’s dynamic economic geography, strong social dialogue mechanisms (for example, the Polder Model) and age-heterogeneous workforce lower the social costs of transition, making ecological benefits more attainable. The article aims to elaborate on the labour market effects of the ecological transition, trade union positions and their determinants, in a dialogue with labour environmentalism.