COLLECTIVE BARGAINING SYSTEMS IN EUROPE : AN

OVERVIEWTURIN MARCH 2004

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

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

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

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

CBS IN WESTERN EUROPE : OTHER ASPECTSUnion rate Coverage

rateGeneral 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?)

CBS IN WESTERN EUROPE : OTHER ASPECTSUnion rate Coverage

rateGeneral coll barg

France 9 90-95 yes

UK 29 36 no

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 -

STATUTORY MINIMUM WAGES

In euro

Belgium 1163

Greece 473

France 1126

Ireland 1009

Netherlands 1207

UK 1124

Portugal 406

Spain 516

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)