scholarly journals The resilience of collective bargaining – a renewed logic for joint regulation?

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-295
Author(s):  
Sian Moore ◽  
Ozlem Onaran ◽  
Alexander Guschanski ◽  
Bethania Antunes ◽  
Graham Symon
Keyword(s):  
Income Inequality ◽  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Bargaining Power ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
National Income ◽  
Union Density ◽  
Female Employment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Labour Share

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to reassert the persistent association of the decline in collective bargaining with the increase in income inequality, the fall in the share of wages in national income and deterioration in macroeconomic performance in the UK; and second, to present case studies affirming concrete outcomes of organisational collective bargaining for workers, in terms of pay, job quality, working hours and work-life balance.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based upon two methodological approaches. First, econometric analyses using industry-level and firm-level data for advanced and emerging economies testing the relationship between declining union density, collective bargaining coverage and the fall in the share of wages in national income. Second, it reports on ten in-depth case studies of collective bargaining each based upon analysis of collective bargaining agreements plus in-depth interviews with the actors party to them: in total, 16 trade union officers, 16 members and 11 employer representatives.FindingsThere is robust evidence of the effects of different measures of bargaining power on the labour share including union density, welfare state retrenchment, minimum wages and female employment. The case studies appear to address a legacy of deregulated industrial relations. A number demonstrate the reinvigoration of collective bargaining at the organisational and sectoral level, addressing the two-tier workforce and contractual differentiation, alongside the consequences of government pay policies for equality.Research limitations/implicationsThe case studies represent a purposive sample and therefore findings are not generalisable; researchers are encouraged to test the suggested propositions further.Practical implicationsThe paper proposes that tackling income inequality requires a restructuring of the institutional framework in which bargaining takes place and a level playing field where the bargaining power of labour is more in balance with that of capital. Collective bargaining addresses a number of the issues raised by the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices as essential for “good work”, yet is at odds with the review’s assumptions and remedies. The case studies reiterate the importance of the development of strong workplace representation and bargaining at workplace level, which advocates for non-members and provides a basis for union recruitment, organisation and wider employee engagement.Originality/valueThe paper indicates that there may be limits to employer commitment to deregulated employment relations. The emergence of new or reinvigorated collective agreements may represent a concession by employers that a “free”, individualised, deinstitutionalised, precarious approach to industrial relations, based on wage suppression and work intensification, is not in their interests in the long run.

scholarly journals Inequality between capital and labour and among wage-earners: the role of collective bargaining and trade unions

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-46
Author(s):  
Maarten Keune
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Wage Inequality ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Bargaining Power ◽  
Union Density ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Union Bargaining Power ◽  
Wage Earners ◽  
The Relationship

In the context of rising inequality between capital and labour and among wage-earners in Europe, this state-of-the-art article reviews the literature concerning the relationship between collective bargaining and inequality. It focuses on two main questions: (i) what is the relationship between collective bargaining, union bargaining power and inequality between capital and labour? and (ii) what is the relationship between collective bargaining, union bargaining power and wage inequality among wage-earners? Both questions are discussed in general terms and for single- and multi-employer bargaining systems. It is argued that collective bargaining coverage and union density are negatively related to both types of inequality. These relationships are however qualified by four additional factors: who unions represent, the weight of union objectives other than wages, the statutory minimum wage, and extensions of collective agreements by governments.

Tipping the Scales for Labour in Ireland? Collective Bargaining and the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Murphy ◽  
Thomas Turner
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Union Density ◽  
Anglo Saxon ◽  
Social Partnership ◽  
Non Union ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Missed Opportunity

Abstract Trade union density in Ireland has followed a similar pattern of decline to that of other Anglo-Saxon economies in recent decades. However, two factors make Ireland distinctive within this classification of countries, firstly the system of national social partnership that prevailed from 1987 to 2008, and secondly, the absence of a statutory route to union recognition. In this paper, we examine the extent to which a new piece of legislation, the Industrial Relations Amendment Act 2015, provides unions with a route to securing bargaining rights for workers and extends collective bargaining rights generally. We conclude that the Act represents a missed opportunity to offer mechanisms to secure rights for unions and their members capable of delivering collective bargaining to the non-union sector. We situate the paper within debates concerning the role of labour law in supporting workers rights to collective bargaining.

scholarly journals Thresholds of income inequality that mitigate the role of gender inclusive education in promoting gender economic inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simplice Asongu ◽  
Nicholas Odhiambo
Keyword(s):  
Income Inequality ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Gini Coefficient ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Female Employment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Economic Participation ◽  
Sub Saharan

Purpose This study aims to provide the thresholds of inequality that should not be exceeded if gender inclusive education is to enhance gender inclusive formal economic participation in sub-Saharan Africa. Design/methodology/approach The empirical evidence is based on the generalised method of moments and data from 42 countries during the period 2004-2014. Findings The following findings are established. First, inclusive tertiary education unconditionally promotes gender economic inclusion, while the interaction between tertiary education and inequality is unfavourable to gender economic inclusion. Second, a Gini coefficient that nullifies the positive incidence of inclusive tertiary education on female labour force participation is 0.562. Second, the Gini coefficient and Palma ratio that crowd-out the negative unconditional effects of inclusive tertiary education on female unemployment are 0.547 and 6.118, respectively. Third, a 0.578 Gini coefficient, a 0.680 Atkinson index and a 6.557 Palma ratio are critical masses that wipe out the positive unconditional effects of inclusive tertiary education on female employment. The findings associated with lower levels of education are not significant. Practical implications As the main policy implication, income inequality should not be tolerated above the established thresholds for gender inclusive education to promote gender inclusive formal economic participation. Other implications are discussed in the light of sustainable development goals. Originality/value This study complements the existing literature by providing inequality thresholds that should not be exceeded for gender inclusive education to promote the involvement of women in the formal economic sector.

Background and rationale of collective bargaining around work-family issues in Italy

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Egidio Riva
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
The Great Recession ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Family Issues ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Available Information

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline and assess the role of industrial relations in introducing work-family-related policies and investigate the drivers, nature and scope of contract provisions that were bargained in the following domains: flexible working arrangements, leave schemes, care services and other supportive arrangements. Analyses draw on information filed in a unique and restricted access repository, the SEcond-level Collective Bargaining Observatory (OCSEL) held by Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Lavoratori (CISL), one of the major trade union organizations in Italy. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents and examines, by means of descriptive statistics and content analysis, available information on 285 company-level agreements around work-family-related issues that were signed in Italy between January 2012 and December 2015, in the aftermath of the great recession. Findings Work-family issues do not seem to be a major bargaining concern. The availability of specific arrangements is mostly limited to the domain of working time flexibility and it is not quite innovative in its contents. Besides, there is little evidence that the mutual gains rationale is embedded in collective bargaining in the field. However, mature and well-established labour relations result in more innovative and strategic company-level bargaining that is also conducive to work-family-related arrangements. Research limitations/implications The sample is not representative. Thus, the results obtained in this study cannot be extended to make predictions and conclusions about the population of collective agreements negotiated and signed in Italian companies in the period under scrutiny. Originality/value Research on the industrial relations context that lies behind the design and implementation of work-family workplace arrangements is still limited. Furthermore, the evidence is inconclusive. This manuscript intends to address this research gap and provide a much more nuanced understanding.

Collective Bargaining after Deregulation: Do the Teamsters Still Count?

ILR Review ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 636-655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael H. Belzer
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Bargaining Power ◽  
Telephone Survey ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Market Concentration ◽  
Trucking Industry ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Regulatory Restructuring ◽  
Two Sectors ◽  
Economic Deregulation

Using data from the American Trucking Associations and a 1991 telephone survey of 223 major firms in the general freight segment of the trucking industry (SIC 4213), the author describes the restructuring of the trucking industry that occurred following economic deregulation that began in 1977 and examines how that restructuring affected industrial relations outcomes such as wages and union strength. He finds that both market concentration and competition increased after 1977. He also concludes that regulatory restructuring led the general freight industry to divide into two sectors, one handling full truckload shipments (shipments of 10,000 pounds or more) and one handling less-than-truckload shipments. The Teamsters Union lost bargaining power in the truckload sector, but it retained much of its bargaining power within the less-than-truckload sector.

Flexibility vs collective bargaining

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 24-26
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Legislative Changes ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Employers are in favor of legislative changes. They have demanded and obtained more flexibility as collective bargaining and unionism have declined. However, they feel that legislation is very much employee focused, and they are still demanding more flexibility, especially in the area of personal grievances and dismissal. Practical implications The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Annual hours, workplace partnership and mutual gains: exploring the links

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 248-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine Ryan ◽  
Joseph Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Material ◽  
The Creation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the capacity of annual hours (AH) to deliver gains to both workers and management and assesses the role of workplace partnership in three Irish companies that have adopted AH. Design/methodology/approach – Three case studies are compared and contrasted. The case studies were compiled through semi-structured interviews with management and trade union representatives, a survey of 205 workers and secondary material. Findings – The authors find that workplace partnership is not a prerequisite for achieving mutual gains where AH are concerned. The research draws attention to the importance of a mechanism for the creation of gains, in these cases, AH and that such gains can arise from different processes. Mutual gains output is not confined to workplace partnership but can arise from collective bargaining. Originality/value – The paper highlights the importance of comparing case studies so that the role of factors often seen as causal to mutual gains in exemplar cases can be critically evaluated. It also utilises directly workers’ opinions on AH and workplace partnership where typically, representative views of management and trade unions dominate the literature on these issues.

Industrial relations in Botswana – workplace conflict: behind the diamond sparkle

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Motsomi Ndala Marobela
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Corporate Image ◽  
Workplace Conflict ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Customers ◽  
The Right

Subject area Management: human resources management. Study level/applicability Undergraduate and postgraduate. Case overview This case gives critical insights in the complex issues surrounding the management of employment relationship in Africa, specifically focusing on Botswana. It is set in the context of explosive industrial relations involving Debswana Diamond Mining Company and the Botswana Mine Workers Union over the contentious issues of pay bonus and collective bargaining. Failure to reach an amicable compromise by both parties' results in a debilitating strike which costs the company millions of funds and affected it's the corporate image contrary to its well crafted social responsibility. More painfully, the end game is a loss of employment and dreams shattered for 461 dismissed workers who depended solely on this work as their only source of income. Expected learning outcomes At the end of reading the case students are expected to: understand the limits of managerial prerogative and the right to manage; appreciate the inherent conflict of interests between labour and capital; consider more equitable compensation schemes in dealing with collective bargaining; and discuss the concept of social responsibility in the context internal customers-employees. Supplementary materials Teaching note.

Unions’ response to corporate restructuring in Telefónica: locked into collective bargaining?

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Óscar Rodríguez-Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Corporate Restructuring ◽  
Press Releases ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the restructuring approach followed by the highly profitable Telefónica in its 2011 redundancy plan, and explores unions’ response to management strategy. Design/methodology/approach – The research follows a case study approach constructing a dataset with information from company reports, committee records, union documents, press releases, and other available sources such as specialized journals and newspapers. Findings – Specifically this case study tries to show how massive job cuts have been implemented through a labour-mediated downsizing strategy that mitigates contestation and industrial conflict. Originality/value – The paper tackles the relevant question of how unions respond to corporate restructuring (involving downsizing) in countries where industrial relations institutions remain relatively strongly embedded and proactive.

GLOBAL TRENDS IN INCOME DISTRIBUTION: LONG-RUN INFLUENCES ON INCOME INEQUALITY

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (7-12) ◽  
Author(s):  
THOMAS OBST
Keyword(s):  
Income Inequality ◽  
Income Distribution ◽  
National Income ◽  
Personal Income ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Wage Dispersion ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
Developed Economies ◽  
Labour Share

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the development in income distribution and outlines its major long-term trends of 23 countries worldwide. These countries are clustered in four groups covering the core advanced, the Nordic, the emerging, and the least developed economies of the world. This paper applies different measures to analyse income distribution in three dimensions: national income, functional income distribution, and personal income distribution. Depending on the indicators applied the time period ranges between 1960 and 2012. The empirical analysis shows that increases in national incomes are most pronounced in the advanced economies. The emerging economies also exhibit an upward trend in national income, but it has been less substantial. The least developed economies, however, have been detached from this trend and remain isolated. Moreover, this paper illustrates that there has been an enormous re-distribution of income. During the last three decades, the labour share of income has declined in nearly all countries under study. This development went hand in hand with increased personal income inequality. Disposable income inequality and market income inequality have both increased over the past 30 years. Wage dispersion also rose substantially contributing to greater income inequality. Additionally, the escalation of top income shares as well as the expansion of low paid employment has led to a growing gap between the top and the bottom income earners. This analysis also presents important interlinks between greater income inequality, the fall of the wage share, and increasing wage dispersion.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document