Mind the gap between your collective agreement and your wages: assessing the importance of collective bargaining for wage setting in Europe

Abstract

The BARWAGE project studied the importance of collective bargaining for wage setting in the European Union Member States. The project investigated the extent to which collective bargaining contributes to the goal of fixing adequate wages in the EU, and subsequently explored the extent to which and way in which collectively bargained provisions leave a discretionary space for individual employers to make decisions on pay. This report summarizes the main findings of the project.

Keywords: collective wage bargaining, pay scales, wages, wage inequality, Europe