Reconsidering union membership in Spain, 1977-1994: halting decline in a context of democratic consolidation

Examining newly available figures, this article argues that in spite of Spanish high unemployment and economic re-structuring, union membership in Spain increased significantly from 1986 to 1993. The effect of democratic consolidation, as well as complex union dynamics in the labour market, generate this recovery that challenges, to some extent, the pessimistic union decline thesis.