General Strikes and Social Change in Belgium (original) (raw)
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This paper analyzes the nature of general strikes in Belgium, particularly focusing on their distinctive characteristics that set them apart from strike patterns in both Northern Europe and Southern Europe during the post-World War II period. By employing indicators such as strike frequency, duration, and size based on Tilly and Shorter's framework, the study reveals that Belgian strikes featured low frequency but large size during the 1950s, which contrasted sharply with trends seen in other Western nations. It explores the political and economic contexts that fostered these unique strike characteristics and discusses the shifts that occurred in Belgian labor relations leading into the 1960s.
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