Eurofound published a report that illustrates the role of social partnership in times of crisis. The social partners have been involved in the decision-making process and the implementation of anti-crisis measures throughout the crisis at different levels. The authors conclude that the cushioning of the effects of the crisis was more effective in countries with strong social dialogue. However, the crisis has also accentuated pre-existing weaknesses in social dialogue, adhering to path dependent pre-crisis trends. An increase in unilateral decision-making by governments on issues affecting the public sector and the increasing decentralisation of collective bargaining at company level constitute challenges made manifest by the crisis.
English: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2012/21/en/2/EF1221EN.pdf
For more information, please contact the editor Jan Cremers, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) cbn-aias@uva.nl or the communications officer at the ETUI, Mariya Nikolova mnikolova@etui.org. For previous issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit http://www.etui.org/E-Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net.