In this paper, the author reflects on the impact of economic globalization on the labour market, in particular collective labour relations. Globalization of the economy is based on the lifting of administrative and legal barriers to the movement of capital between countries, which allows the transfer of production according to the criterion of the lowest production costs. Global competition for investment leads to social dumping and increasing both the flexibility as well as the deregulation of labour markets. As a result, labour relations have changed their collective nature into an individualized nature, according to which working conditions are directly negotiated by the parties to the employment relationship, rather than by the social partners. Moreover, the flexibility of forms of employment shifts from labour employment to civil employment. These issues pose for the unions the challenge to adapt to the changing labour market. The author argues that trade unions have not been able to adapt to these new circumstances. She analyses the reasons for the weakened position of trade unions and formulates postulates de lege ferenda in this regard.