European Journal of Industrial Relations recent issues

Editorial

Hyman, R. — 2009-09-03

Codes of Conduct and the Promise of a Change of Climate in Worker Organization

Gokhan Kocer, R., Fransen, L. — 2009-09-03

Do codes of conduct adopted by multinational companies help to advance the position of workers in emerging economies? We focus on three workplaces in the Turkish clothing industry in order to assess their ability to promote Freedom of Association, in the context of a restrictive legal framework, extensive subcontracting relations and different degrees of formality of manufacturing sites. We conclude that under specific conditions codes can make a positive contribution to worker organization; but given the imbalance of power between workers and employers, often sustained by national regulation, they make little contribution to Freedom of Association.

Client, Employer and Employee: Mapping a Complex Triangulation

Havard, C., Rorive, B., Sobczak, A. — 2009-09-03

Many studies in the fields of law, sociology and management point to the transformation of subordination in the employment relationship. This is often explained by the triangulation of the traditionally bilateral employment relation between employer and employees by the involvement of clients or their representatives in the operational and organizational conditions of work. Such studies rarely distinguish between the various types of clients, nor between the reality and rhetoric of their role and influence. Our objective is to propose a classification of the triangular situations between employer, employees and clients based on the concept of power and to analyse the impacts of clients on conditions of work and employment relations.

Self-interest, Legal Commitment and Benevolence: The Emergence and Enforcement of a Swiss Labour Market Institution

Broussolle, D. — 2009-09-03

The long-established ‘basic agreements’ in the Nordic countries are well known; less familiar is the analogous institution in the Swiss labour market, first established in 1937 in the metalworking industry. This article contributes to the understanding of such agreements though an analysis of the peace clauses that are central to collective bargaining in Switzerland. It describes the emergence of the 1937 agreement, with an emphasis on the actors’ strategies and the external economic pressure that provoked the move towards cooperation, and explains the persistence of cooperative institutions, emphasizing the role of mutual interests, of a mandatory cooperative framework and of benevolence. Since the benefits of the agreement have come to represent a public good, the conclusion examines the emergence of a free-rider problem.

The Impact of Industrialization on Paid Domestic Work: The Case of France

Devetter, F.-X., Rousseau, S. — 2009-09-03

Domestic services, and notably house-cleaning, are a growing sector of employment in many European countries. There has also been a shift from individualized ‘master-servant’ relations to the mediation of service companies. Does this improve the status and conditions of employees? Drawing on experience in France, this article compares the quality of employment under the two systems.

National and Sectoral Influences on Wage Determination in Central and Eastern Europe

Stockhammer, E., Onaran, O. — 2009-09-03

The article investigates wage determination in Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania. In particular, what is the relative influence of national and sectoral factors? While industrial relations in these countries are still in the process of change, different national patterns have emerged; what is their significance for wage determination? The literature on Western economies is unanimous that coordination of wage bargaining reduces wage dispersion, but disagrees on its effects on unemployment and inflation. The article provides a panel analysis for manufacturing sectors, examining average wages in the total economy and sectoral productivity. The openness of the economy, capital intensity and skill are also discussed. The results are compared with the recent index of the collective bargaining coordination by Visser and with cross-country data on union density.

Books Received

2009-09-03

Abstracts

2009-09-03

Editorial

Hyman, R. — 2009-05-20

Engaging with Variable Pay: A Comparative Study of the Metal Industry

Nergaard, K., Dolvik, J. E., Marginson, P., Arasanz Diaz, J., Bechter, B. — 2009-05-20

This article discusses differences in the responses of company employee representatives to variable pay systems, drawing on a comparative study in the metalworking sector in Austria, Norway, Spain and the UK. We find that the approaches of organized labour are contingent, first, on the type of pay system and its influence on total remuneration; and second, on the role of local trade unions or works councils within the national system of pay determination.

The Evolution of Social Pacts in the EMU Era: What Type of Institutionalization?

Natali, D., Pochet, P. — 2009-05-20

This article examines the emergence and evolution of social pacts in European countries in the last 20 years. While the changing constraints related to the different phases of the Monetary Union and actors' interests and resources are usually interpreted as key variables, we add a more institutionalist perspective. We analyse four countries to trace the role of institutional dynamics: while in Ireland and Spain the first pacts have been stabilized, in Italy and Portugal we see a more limited or `uneven' institutionalization. The dynamic interpretation of institutional trends and critical events helps remedy some of the limits of the traditional literature on social pacts.

European Works Councils: Identity and the Role of Information and Communication Technology

Whittall, M., Knudsen, H., Huijgen, F. — 2009-05-20

This article discusses the conditions for the development of a common identity among employee representatives within European Works Councils and addresses the importance of information and communication technology in this respect. Drawing on case studies conducted at General Motors and Deutsche Post, it is concluded that systematic use of such technology is a necessary condition if employee representatives are to be able to act jointly and in a timely manner across borders when challenged by management.

International Cooperation, Transnational Restructuring and Virtual Networking in Europe

Pulignano, V. — 2009-05-20

Social networks represent one possible trade union response to cross-border industrial restructuring. The aim is to bring together independent actors so as to generate interaction, cooperation and coordination of cross-national practices and integration of policies. This article draws on empirical evidence from four sectors. It first examines whether unions make effective use of the Internet when developing networking and coordination activities to respond to transnational change in Europe. Second, it discusses the reasons for cross-sectoral variation in the use of virtual networking. It is argued that the use of the Internet by European unions becomes a matter of strategic choices and politics, and reflects sector-based differences in the way that transparency, coordination, social cohesion and democracy are secured for representation and bargaining purposes among employees and unions across borders.

Reforming the Anglo-Saxon Model of Labour Inspection: The Case of the Republic of Ireland

Teague, P. — 2009-05-20

Labour inspection is an increasingly important part of employment standard-setting, as trade union membership and collective bargaining decline. Research identifies two broad approaches to labour inspection. A defining characteristic of the Latin model is that flexibility and enforcement are successfully combined in the one regulatory regime. In contrast, the Anglo-Saxon model involves institutional fragmentation and a lack of symmetry between `hard' and `soft' regulatory interventions. The case of the Republic of Ireland highlights the weaknesses of the Anglo-Saxon model of labour inspection: both the `hard' and `soft' dimensions to this labour standard-setting regime need reforming and strengthening.

Abstracts

2009-05-20

Editorial

Hyman, R. — 2009-03-02

Policies and Politics in Social Pacts in Europe

Hassel, A. — 2009-03-02

This article develops our theoretical understanding of social partnership in Eastern and Western Europe, focusing on two aspects. First, it considers the reasons why both governments as well as social partners sustain social partnership even in the context of tight monetary policy, liberalization and globalization. Second, it explains the differing dynamics of negotiated policies in Eastern and Western Europe. It concludes that the interest constellations of the actors involved, rather than institutional or organizational issues, are the primary explanatory factor for differences in social partnership.

The Complexity of Relocation and the Diversity of Trade Union Responses: Efficiency-oriented Foreign Direct Investment in Central Europe

Meardi, G., Marginson, P., Fichter, M., Frybes, M., Stanojevic, M., Toth, A. — 2009-03-02

Relocations within an enlarged Europe are often portrayed as an unavoidable destiny or irresistible threat for workers. The article outlines a number of contingent factors which determine how serious are the threats and how feasible is an effective union response. Such factors are then tested through in-depth case studies of 12 plants in the automotive components sector (where cross-border competition is particularly strong), showing how varied can be the scenarios for industrial relations in multinational companies.

A Race to the Bottom? Trade Unions, EU Enlargement and the Free Movement of Labour

Krings, T. — 2009-03-02

When eight countries from Central and Eastern Europe joined the EU in 2004, unions in some countries argued that significant wage differentials between the old and the new member states necessitated transitional restrictions on free movement, but others insisted that employment standards should be protected by the enforcement of rights, not by restrictions. This article explores variations in union policies in comparative perspective, examining Austria, Germany, Ireland and the UK.

The Establishment of Enterprise Works Councils: Process and Problems

Rigby, M., Contrepois, S., O'Brien Smith, F. — 2009-03-02

Works councils have been an important vehicle of collective representation in most Western European countries. They have facilitated trade union involvement in employment relations at enterprise level, even when membership levels are relatively low. However, there have been recent doubts about the resilience of the institution, particularly given its lower coverage in expanding areas of employment such as private services and small firms. This article presents qualitative data on the `start-up' of works councils in France, Germany and Spain, with an emphasis on these sectors. The extension of works councils to difficult sectors depends on establishing clarity about their role, strengthening legislative support, deepening the engagement of external trade unions in their development and ensuring that enterprise actors have realistic expectations.

Job Satisfaction, Union Membership and Collective Bargaining

Garcia-Serrano, C. — 2009-03-02

This article uses data from a nationwide survey of Spanish workers to investigate whether job satisfaction is influenced by unionization when the terms of collective agreements are extended to all the workers, whether members or not. Empirical findings suggest that there is a negative influence of union membership on job satisfaction and a positive one for collective agreements at firm level, but these effects vanish once variables capturing working conditions and the industrial relations climate are taken into account.

Books Received

2009-03-02

Abstracts

2009-03-02

Editorial

Hyman, R. — 2008-12-15

Moral Hazard, Transaction Costs and the Reform of Public Service Employment Relations

Bordogna, L. — 2008-12-15

This article analyses the reform of public service employment relations inspired by the New Public Management (NPM) approach, which has challenged both the traditional `sovereign employer' and `model employer' approaches to public service employment regulation. It envisages a double process of convergence: between public and private sector employment relations within each country, and in public service employment relations between different countries. However, the outcomes are mixed, and unexpected or perverse effects have often followed the reform attempts. These stem from a neglect of the distinctiveness of the public sector employer as a political institution and an excessive attention to moral hazard and agency costs. What is needed is a richer variety of mechanisms, more sophisticated and less unilateral than those borrowed from agency theory

European Sectoral Social Dialogue: An Analytical Framework

Leonard, E. — 2008-12-15

The European sectoral social dialogue involves complex relationships between the players directly or indirectly involved, and between the European level and the member organizations in national industrial relations systems. This article proposes a synthetic analytical framework to highlight these relationships, showing that the sectoral social dialogue constitutes a very specific `system of action'.

Towards a European Minimum Wage Policy? Fair Wages and Social Europe

Schulten, T. — 2008-12-15

The notion of Social Europe is usually taken to entail the payment of fair wages, defined as at least a minimum sufficient for a decent standard of living. In all European countries there is some regulation of minimum wages, either by law or by collective agreements. However, the value of minimum wages in Europe differs significantly both in absolute level and relative to average or median national wages. Moreover, some national systems of wage regulation have proved ineffectual in preventing the growth of employment paying below the minimum. Against this background there is an ongoing debate on the possibility and desirability of a European minimum wage policy. This article gives an overview of national minimum wage regulation and discusses the opportunity for and resistance to the introduction of a coordinated minimum wage policy at European level.

Labour Mobility and Wage Dumping: The Case of Norway

Alsos, K., Eldring, L. — 2008-12-15

This article examines wage regulation mechanisms, based on statutory provisions or on collective agreements, designed to protect migrant and posted workers from `wage dumping'. The Norwegian mixed model is compared to mechanisms in other European countries, and is also contrasted with the autonomous collective-agreement models of Denmark and Sweden. The experience gained from extension of collective agreements in Norway suggests that such mechanisms may be more generally effective as a means to protect foreign workers.

Opportunities and Challenges of EU Accession: Industrial Relations in Romania

Trif, A. — 2008-12-15

This study examines the outcomes of EU accession for industrial relations institutions and workers' rights in Eastern Europe, using Romania as an example. It focuses on EU influence on labour law, the development of the social partners and collective bargaining as well as the impact of foreign direct investment and migration. EU enlargement resulted in both opportunities (improvement of statutory rights for workers) and challenges (labour shortages and difficulties in implementing labour law). Comparisons between the new member states suggest that the effects of the EU accession process vary across countries, depending on national macro-economic strategies and the strength of trade unions.

Financial Participation of Employees in the European Union: Much Ado about Nothing?

Welz, C., Fernandez-Macias, E. — 2008-12-15

This article updates previous research on financial participation, using employee data from the latest (fourth) edition of the European Working Conditions Survey. This is the first to provide the employee perspective on this subject and to cover all sizes of private company in all sectors across the whole enlarged European Union. The contrast between these new findings and those from previous (company-based) surveys is considerable.

Abstracts

2008-12-15