They are concerned that the industrial restructuring which will accompany the unification of the European market will have dire consequences for their members. All parties acknowledge that 1992 will generate economic restructuring. Some companies will shift production sites, some firms are expected to consolidate their operations, some businesses will close. Unification proponents claim the creation of new jobs will outweigh the social cost. This prediction, however, rests on optimistic assumptions about how companies will react and about government policies throughout the world.
Trade unions fear the effect of the restructuring on their members.
Firms will merge and production plants close as businesses adjust to more competitive trading conditions. There is no guarantee that they will be replaced by new jobs requiring similar skills or that new jobs will be concentrated in the same regions as jobs that are lost. The European unions know they face tough battles if they are to protect the position of their stronger members, let alone create a framework which will encourage higher standards for workers in less advanced countries. The West German unions, notably the metal workers, have been among the first to see that the internationalization of production, where for instance one car is made by plants in several EC countries, demands a drastic overhaul of trade union organization. They see the internationalization of production as heightening the need for joint trade union action across national borders.