scholarly journals Restoring Democracy to the Workplace? An Analysis of Union Membership Patters Before and After the Employment Contracts Act

1970 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Cregan ◽  
Chris Rudd ◽  
Stewart Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
Union Membership ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Employment Contracts ◽  
Market Participants ◽  
Before And After ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Impact

This paper investigates the impact of the Employment Contracts Act on trade union membership. Two separate surveys of labour market participants lvere conducted in Dunedin on the eve of the legislation and one year later. The findings demonstrated that for these samples, trade union membership in aggregate was not based on compulsion before the legislation and remained at a similar level a year later. Democracy was not restored to the workplace it was already apparent there. This implies that changes in the industrial relations system had already taken place prior to the legislation and it is suggested that these findings are explicable if the effect of the exigencies of the recession on both parries is taken account of In the ensuing discussion, reasons for the persistence of the same level of union membership after the legislation were considered. It was demonstrated that most members li'anted the union to act as their bargaining agent and felt few pressures regarding their choice of employment contract. In other words, employers did not utilise the provisions of the Act to weaken union membership, at least in the short term.

Was it worth it? The impact of the German minimum wage on union membership of employees

2021 ◽  
pp. 0143831X2110358
Author(s):  
Simon Ress ◽  
Florian Spohr
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Social Security ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Propensity Score Matching ◽  
Minimum Wage ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
Union Membership ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
German Trade ◽  
The Impact

This contribution scrutinises how introducing a statutory minimum wage of EUR 8.50 per hour, in January 2015, impacted German employees’ decision with regard to union membership. Based on representative data from the Labour Market and Social Security panel, the study applies a logistic difference-in-differences propensity score matching approach on entries into and withdrawals from unions in the German Trade Union Confederation (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, DGB). The results show no separate effect on withdrawals from or entries into unions after the minimum wage introduction for those employees who benefited financially from it, but a significant increase of entries overall. Thus, unions’ campaign for a minimum wage strengthened their position in total but did not reverse the segmentation of union membership patterns.

scholarly journals Unions and Union Membership in New Zealand: Annual Review for 2004

1970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leda Blackwood ◽  
Goldie Feinberg-Danieli ◽  
George Lafferty
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
Union Membership ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Employment Relations ◽  
Employment Contracts ◽  
Annual Survey ◽  
Official Data

This paper reports the results of Victoria University's Industrial Relations Centre's annual survey of trade union membership in New Zealand for 2004. The survey has been conducted since 1991, when the Employment Contracts Act 1991 (ECA) ended the practice of union registration and the collection of official data. This year we report changes in union membership, composition, and density from December 2003 to December 2004, taking an historical perspective to compare the industrial relations periods framed by the ECA and the Employment Relations Act 2000 (ERA).

scholarly journals Unions and Union Membership in New Zealand 1985-1992

1970 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Harbridge ◽  
Kevin Hince
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Union Membership ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Employment Contracts ◽  
The Impact

The Employment Contracts Act 1991 (introduced on 15 May, 1991) abandoned dependence upon registered trade unions, a characteristic of New Zealand industrial relations since 1894. The detail of this change, and of other extensive changes implemented by the Employment Contracts Act, are outlined elsewhere (for example, Anderson, 1991; Boxall, 1991; Harbridge, 1993; Hince and Vranken, 1991 and McAndrew, 1992). This note is specifically concerned with the impact of the Act on the number, size and membership of trade unions. Developments from May 1991 to December 1992 are put in a context with patterns of change emerging in the earlier period, 1985 to 1990.

Incomes Policy and Industrial Relations: Britain, Sweden and Australia

1980 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Wright ◽  
Nixon Apple
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Potential Conflict ◽  
Government Relations ◽  
Incomes Policy ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Increasingly, economic debate in Australia and other Western, developed economies is directed to the interdependence and potential conflict between the out come of labour market negotiations and government economic policy. Industrial relations becomes identified as a cause of economic problems and governments have been attracted to policies that seek to alter the outcome of labour market negotia tions, using what are often termed "incomes policies". However, because of the nature of industrial relations, incomes policies which might be established to express government demands also have an influence over the balance of powers and relations within the economy. This dynamic process presents problems for practitioners and academics assessing the full effect of incomes policies. The corporatist model developed by Leo Pantich is one useful model of the changes that can occur in trade union, employer and government relations under incomes policy conditions. Draw ing on the flexibility of such a process model, this article details the development of incomes policies in Britain and Sweden, examining the changing relationships and powers that have occurred when the parties (and especially the trade unions) have responded to the demands such policies make on industrial relations. The differences in trade union reactions to industrial relations adjustment provide lessons and experiences for any economy where the government seeks to direct labour market negotiations. In terms of the impact on trade unions particularly and industrial relations in general, the British and Swedish lessons offer valuable insights for Australia. Examining the dynamic incomes policy effects in Australia, we conclude that only if industrial relations practitioners and trade unionists are aware of the dynamic pressures of intervention and respond in a structured manner can they avoid the traps identified by British experience and benefit from the opportunities offered by Swedish initiatives.

scholarly journals Long-Term and Short-Term Effects of Hemodialysis on Liver Function Evaluated Using the Galactose Single-Point Test

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Chou Hou ◽  
Wen-Chih Liu ◽  
Min-Tser Liao ◽  
Kuo-Cheng Lu ◽  
Lan Lo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liver Function ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Liver Blood Flow ◽  
Hepatic Clearance ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Before And After ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mean Time

Aim. The galactose single-point (GSP) test assesses functioning liver mass by measuring the galactose concentration in the blood 1 hour after its administration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of hemodialysis (HD) on short-term and long-term liver function by use of GSP test.Methods. Seventy-four patients on maintenance HD (46 males and 28 females, 60.38 ± 11.86 years) with a mean time on HD of 60.77 ± 48.31 months were studied. The GSP values were compared in two groups: (1) before and after single session HD, and (2) after one year of maintenance HD.Results. Among the 74 HD patient, only the post-HD Cr levels and years on dialysis were significantly correlated with GSP values (r=0.280,P<0.05andr=-0.240,P<0.05, resp.). 14 of 74 patients were selected for GSP evaluation before and after a single HD session, and the hepatic clearance of galactose was similar (pre-HD 410 ± 254 g/mL, post-HD 439 ± 298 g/mL,P=0.49). GSP values decreased from 420.20 ± 175.26 g/mL to 383.40 ± 153.97 g/mL after 1 year maintenance HD in other 15 patients (mean difference: 19.00 ± 37.66 g/mL,P<0.05).Conclusions. Patients on maintenance HD for several years may experience improvement of their liver function. However, a single HD session does not affect liver function significantly as assessed by the GSP test. Since the metabolism of galactose is dependent on liver blood flow and hepatic functional mass, further studies are needed.

scholarly journals Labour Market Adjustment under the Employment Contracts Act

1970 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Whatman ◽  
Craig Armitage ◽  
Richard Dunbar
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
The Other ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Employment Contracts ◽  
Labour Costs ◽  
Speed Up

In order to measure the extent of adjustment since the Employment Contracts Act 1991 was introduced, the Department of Labour has contracted two surveys of labour market adjustment under the Act. The first survey was conducted in August-September 1992 by the Heylen Research Centre and Teesdale Meuli & Co. (the results of the survey were reported in the NZJIR (18(1): 94-112). Three particularly important outcomes were reported. First, enterprise bargaining and individual contracting had become far more widespread Second, some enterprises took the opportunity to begin or speed up strategic industrial relations reforms, although others seemed to have simply removed union rights and cut labour costs in the short term. Finally, while the overall rate of labour market adjustment increased, adjustment was generally concentrated amongst larger enterprises. The second survey, conducted by Hey/en in late 1993, indicates that the bulk of the structural changes occurred in the initial years under the Act, and now appear to be largely complete. Enterprise collective and individual contracts now predominate. The other adjustments that were indicated in the first survey are little changed, though there is evidence that the effects of adjustment are being felt differentially. There is evidence of greater acceptance of the Act, though employers and employees still feel that employers hold more power than employees.

scholarly journals Norm-Based Trade Union Membership: Evidence for Germany

2004 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laszlo Goerke ◽  
Markus Pannenberg
Keyword(s):  
Panel Data ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
Union Membership ◽  
Union Density ◽  
Free Rider ◽  
Free Rider Problem ◽  
Social Custom ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In the absence of closed shops and discriminatory wage policies, union membership can be explained by the existence of social norms.We describe a model, incorporating institutional features of the German labour market, which explicitly allows for social custom effects in the determination of union membership. Using panel data for Germany, we find evidence for according effects which restrict freeriding. The impact of social norms tends to increase with net union density. Hence, observed reductions in the demand for union membership can weaken the impact of a norm and accentuate the free-rider problem.

scholarly journals Stéttarfélagsaðild á Íslandi

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-90
Author(s):  
Gylfi Dalmann Aðalsteinsson ◽  
Þórhallur Örn Guðlaugsson
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
Union Membership ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Union Density ◽  
Employment Contracts ◽  
Employment Rates ◽  
Fierce Competition ◽  
Second World

Few studies have been conducted on trade union density in Iceland, some has been written about trade unions in Iceland. There has been a lot of debate in Europe over the last 20 years of declining trade union density. There are various reasons for this decline, such as general economic prosperity since the end of the Second World War, EU directives and regulations on increased rights and protection of workers, more focus on work life balance, increased economic growth, higher employment rates, structural change in the labour market and new management practices that encourage employees to be outside of trade unions. Furthermore, as a possible explanation, internationalization and fierce competition of companies in global markets has also been pointed out, greater emphasis on flexibility in employment contracts, job outsourcing and the fact that it is more difficult to get well-educated professionals to be union members. The development of trade union density in Iceland has been different. For the last 20 years, trade union density in Iceland has been very high and remained fairly stable. This paper deals with trade union density in Iceland from 1994 to 2016. Few proposition, according to the authors’ assessment, are put forward that can shed light on high union density in Iceland. They are: 1) closed shop agreements, 2) check-off system, legal obligation for employers to deducts a portion of an employee’s wages to pay union dues, 3) large public sector, 4) strategic work of trade unions to make union membership attracting with various services and benefits for members, 5) trade unions has emphasized on reaching to young people in the labour market, 6) trade union membership granted union members access to pension fund, 7) the “Ghent system” which linked unemployment benefits to union membership.

scholarly journals Labour Market Adjustment under the Employment Contracts Act

1970 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Armitage ◽  
Richard Dunbar
Keyword(s):  
Financial Markets ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Employment Contracts ◽  
Employment Contract ◽  
Labour Costs ◽  
Speed Up

The Employment Contracts Act was introduced primarily in response to a perceived lack of progress in the rate of adjustment in the labour market. While product and financial markets had been reformed, the labour market was still regulated by relatively prescriptive legislation. In order to measure adjustment since the Act was introduced, the Heylen Research Centre and Teesdale Meuli & Co. were contracted by the Department of Labour to survey labour market adjustment under the Employment Contracts Act. This report on that survey indicates that various adjustments have occu"ed, particularly in terms of employment contract structures and several important bargaining issues. Enterprises can be categorise4 according to the type of changes they and their employees have undertaken, and their size. Three particularly important outcomes emerge. Enterprise bargaining is now far more widespread. Some enterprises have taken the opportunity to begin or speed up strategic industrial relations reforms, while others seem to have simply removed union rights and cut labour costs in the short term. Finally, while the overall rate of labour market adjustment has increased, adjustment has generally been concentrated amongst larger enterprises.

Impact of Michigan’s new opioid prescribing laws on spine surgery patients: analysis of the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Paul Park ◽  
Victor Chang ◽  
Hsueh-Han Yeh ◽  
Jason M. Schwalb ◽  
David R. Nerenz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spine Surgery ◽  
Spinal Surgery ◽  
Readmission Rate ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Readmission Rates ◽  
Opioid Prescribing ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

OBJECTIVEIn 2017, Michigan passed new legislation designed to reduce opioid abuse. This study evaluated the impact of these new restrictive laws on preoperative narcotic use, short-term outcomes, and readmission rates after spinal surgery.METHODSPatient data from 1 year before and 1 year after initiation of the new opioid laws (beginning July 1, 2018) were queried from the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative database. Before and after implementation of the major elements of the new laws, 12,325 and 11,988 patients, respectively, were treated.RESULTSPatients before and after passage of the opioid laws had generally similar demographic and surgical characteristics. Notably, after passage of the opioid laws, the number of patients taking daily narcotics preoperatively decreased from 3783 (48.7%) to 2698 (39.7%; p < 0.0001). Three months postoperatively, there were no differences in minimum clinically important difference (56.0% vs 58.0%, p = 0.1068), numeric rating scale (NRS) score of back pain (3.5 vs 3.4, p = 0.1156), NRS score of leg pain (2.7 vs 2.7, p = 0.3595), satisfaction (84.4% vs 84.7%, p = 0.6852), or 90-day readmission rate (5.8% vs 6.2%, p = 0.3202) between groups. Although there was no difference in readmission rates, pain as a reason for readmission was marginally more common (0.86% vs 1.22%, p = 0.0323).CONCLUSIONSThere was a meaningful decrease in preoperative narcotic use, but notably there was no apparent negative impact on postoperative recovery, patient satisfaction, or short-term outcomes after spinal surgery despite more restrictive opioid prescribing. Although the readmission rate did not significantly increase, pain as a reason for readmission was marginally more frequently observed.

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