COLLECTIVE BARGAINING SYSTEMS IN EUROPE : AN OVERVIEW

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COLLECTIVE BARGAINING SYSTEMS IN EUROPE AN
OVERVIEW

• TURIN MARCH 2004

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CENTRALISATION VERSUS DECENTRALISATION
National level Sectoral Level Enterprise level
Belgium xxx xxx x
Ireland xxx x x
Finland xxx xxx x
Danemark x xxx xxx
France xx xxx
UK xxx
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CENTRALISATION VERSUS DECENTRALISATION
National level Sectoral Level Enterprise level
Germany xxx x
Italy xxx x
Netherlands xxx x
Austria xxx x
Sweden xxx x
Spain xxx x
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CENTRALISATION VERSUS DECENTRALISATION
National level Sectoral Level Enterprise level
Slovenia xxx x x
Poland x xxx
Hungary x xxx
Estland x xxx
Tsjech Rep x xxx
Litauen x xxx
Malta x xxx
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Does (de) centralisation matter ?

• DECENTRALISATION AND POWER POSITION IN
  NEGOTIATIONS
• COORDINATION OF WAGE BARGAINING
• SOCIAL PACTS TRADE UNIONS PARTICIPATING IN
  SOCIAL POLICY MAKING
• CONTROL FOR WAGE DIFFERENTIALS

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CBS IN WESTERN EUROPE OTHER ASPECTS
Union rate Coverage rate General coll barg
Belgium 69 90 yes
Finland 79 70 yes
Sweden 79 90 no
Dk 87 83 yes
Austria 40 98 yes
Italy 35 90 yes
Germany 28 67 Yes (no?)
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CBS IN WESTERN EUROPE OTHER ASPECTS
Union rate Coverage rate General coll barg
France 9 90-95 yes
UK 29 36 no

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CBS IN EASTERN EUROPE
Union rate Coverage General coll barg
Slovakia 41 100 yes
Poland 15 40 yes
Hungary 20 34 yes
Tsjech 30 25-30 -
Letland 30 20 -
Litauen 15 10-15 -
Malta 65 - no
Cyprus 70 65-70 -
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STATUTORY MINIMUM WAGES
In euro
Belgium 1163
Greece 473
France 1126
Ireland 1009
Netherlands 1207
UK 1124
Portugal 406
Spain 516
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SOME POLITICAL CONCLUSIONS

• DECENTRALISATION AND POWER POSITION OF WORKERS IN
  COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
• DECENTRALISATION AND THE NEED TO CONTROL FOR
  SHARP WAGE INEQUALITIES (Solidarity but also
  economic efficiency)