Metall och tredje industriella revolutionen - Juhani Kulo

Abstract
Erik Bengtsson, Metallarbetarförbundet och den tredje industriella revolutionen 1975-1989. Master’s thesis,
Department of Economic history, Göteborg University spring 2007. Tutor: Christer Lundh. Number
of pages: 69
This thesis discusses the discursive activity of the Swedish Metal Workers’ Union (Metall) as a
part of the third industrial revolution in Sweden, in two interconnected areas: new technology
associated with the microprocessor, and the globalization of economic activity, in the period from
1975 to 1989.
It draws theoretical inspiration from new political economy and deploys a text analysis, a
sender-oriented argumentation analysis, to understand Metall’s policy formulation and their striving
to form the technological and economical processes in a gainful way.
The thesis shows how Metall already in the mid-1970s were quite aware of the importance of
the new technology, and started working on analysis and policy regarding the technological
development. This work culminated in the program “The good job” (“Det goda arbetet”) in 1985, a
program with which Metall aimed to formulate a strategy for good economic development – strong
ability to compete, and high growth – combined with providing good jobs for the workers.
The thesis also shows that Metall had more problems with facing globalization than with facing
the new technology. In the mid-1970s Metall’s analyzing of globalization began with the discussion in
the labour movement on the multinational corporations (MNCs). In the late 70s Metall’s analysis was
advanced when they began to consider more thoroughly the different situations – political, social –
in countries around the world, combining this new focus with the previous focus on MNCs. But still
Metall had problems formulating a strategy to cope with globalization and the tougher competetition
from around the world. In the 1980s Metall continued to treat globalization on an more or less ad
hoc basis, there was no programmatic strategy like the one for technology with the report “The good
job”. In the late 1980s the situation was further complicated when Swedish firms started to make
explicit political demands, backing these up with the threat to move production out of the country.
At the same time Metall also had to deal with foreign firms setting up operations in Sweden, without
necessarily wanting to use Swedish collective agreements.
Keywords: Metall, unions, political economy, third industrial revolution, economic globalization
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