How can trade union revitalisation and collective bargaining reinforce each other? And can more participatory forms of bargaining help rebuild union strength while expanding collective bargaining coverage across Europe?

On January 29–30, 2026, CELSI researchers took part in the ETUI kick-off meeting in Brussels, launching preparations for a forthcoming edited book on trade union revitalisation and collective bargaining.

The meeting brought together researchers from across Europe to shape the concept, scope, and case studies for the volume.

The event was organised by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and opened by Torsten Müller and Kurt Vandaele, who also introduced the core idea of the book: analysing the two-way relationship between union revitalisation and collective bargaining, particularly through high-participation bargaining approaches.

CELSI was represented by Tibor Meszmann and Adam Šumichrast, who contributed country perspectives and initial ideas for Hungarian and Slovak case studies.

Their contributions focused on how participatory bargaining practices and institutional contexts shape both collective bargaining coverage and union organisational power in Central and Eastern Europe.

We thank ETUI, Torsten Müller, and Kurt Vandaele for convening this timely and important discussion and for creating a collaborative space to reflect on the future of collective bargaining and trade unions in Europe.

We very much look forward to the forthcoming book and its contribution to advancing research and debate in this field.

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