Sectoral collective bargaining is an aim of trade unions or labor unions to reach a collective agreement that covers all workers in a sector of the economy, whether they wish to be a part of a union or not. It contrasts to enterprise bargaining where agreements cover individual firms. Generally countries with sectoral collective bargaining have higher rates of forced union organisation and better coverage of collective agreements than countries with enterprise bargaining.[1] Research by the OECD,[2] ILO[3] and the European Commission[4] has also linked sectoral bargaining to higher real wages, lower unemployment, fewer strikes and greater wage equality through an unexplained method. Greater wage equality may be tied to lower wages for those who are worth more, and a higher wage for those who would otherwise merit less. [5][6]
European Union
editIn the EU, countries that have sectoral collective bargaining have significantly higher rates of coverage than those with enterprise or individual workplace bargaining.[7] Under the Adequate Wage Directive 2022 article 4, a member state with collective bargaining coverage under 80% will be required to make an "action plan" to achieve 80% coverage, effectively removing the constituents right to choose whether or not to be affiliated with a union.
| Country | Coverage in 2015 | System |
|---|---|---|
| France | 98% | Sector[8] |
| Belgium | 96% | Sector (and national) |
| Austria | 95% | Sector |
| Finland | 91% | Sector (and national) |
| Portugal | 89% | Sector |
| Sweden | 89% | Sector (and national)[9] |
| Netherlands | 84% | Sector (but also enterprise) |
| Denmark | 80% | Sector (but also enterprise) |
| Italy | 80% | Sector |
| Norway | 73% | Sector (and national) |
| Spain | 69% | Sector (but also enterprise) |
| Slovenia | 65% | Sector |
| Croatia | 61% | Sector |
| Malta | 61% | Enterprise |
| Luxembourg | 59% | Sector and enterprise |
| Germany | 59% | Sector and enterprise |
| Ireland | 44% | Enterprise |
| Czech Republic | 38% | Enterprise (some sector) |
| Romania | 36% | Enterprise |
| Slovakia | 35% | Enterprise |
| Latvia | 34% | Enterprise |
| Estonia | 33% | Enterprise |
| Hungary | 31% | Enterprise (some sector) |
| Bulgaria | 29% | Enterprise |
| United Kingdom | 29% | Enterprise (some sector) |
| Poland | 18% | Enterprise |
| Greece | 10% | Enterprise |
| Lithuania | no data% | Enterprise, some sector |
| Greece | 10% | Enterprise[10] |
| United States | 10% | Enterprise |
In 2019, the OECD's estimates for the percentage of collective bargaining coverage was somewhat changed.[11] Collective bargaining coverage has generally fallen across EU member states, and most substantially in Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Germany and Slovenia, though policies to raise coverage have been implemented including (1) better employer organisation, (2) tying public procurement to collective agreements—as in half of German states by 2021—and (3) encouraging more union members.[12]
United Kingdom
editWhile sectoral bargaining used to be standard in the UK, enterprise bargaining was advocated by the 1968 report of the Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers' Associations chaired by Lord Donovan.
United States
editSectoral bargaining was promoted by the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933, but struck down and replaced by enterprise bargaining under the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. Today industries like screenwriting, hotels, and railroads still see sectoral bargaining predominate.[13]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Collins, Ewing & McColgan 2019, p. 546.
- ^ OECD (2019), Negotiating Our Way Up: Collective Bargaining in a Changing World of Work (Paris: OECD Publishing), https://doi.org/10.1787/1fd2da34-en.
- ^ "International Labour Standards on Collective bargaining".
- ^ "EMPL".
- ^ Zwysen, Wouter; Drahokoupil, Jan (2023). "Collective bargaining and power: Wage premium of collective agreements in Europe 2002–2018". British Journal of Industrial Relations. doi:10.1111/bjir.12777.
- ^ "EMPL".
- ^ See Collective bargaining coverage from worker-participation.eu
- ^ Reforms under Macron have since allowed enterprise agreements to undercut sector agreements.
- ^ "The Collective Agreement". 6 May 2013.
- ^ This has dropped from 65% since 2012, see Collins, Ewing & McColgan 2019, p. 546
- ^ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 'Collective bargaining coverage: A detailed methodological note' (2019) 19
- ^ A Hassel, Round Table. Mission impossible? How to increase collective bargaining coverage in Germany and the EU' (2023) 28(4) Transfer], Figure 1
- ^ Madland, David (22 April 2021). "The Re-emergence of Sectoral Bargaining in the US, Britain, Australia and Canada". OnLabor. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
References
edit- Collins, Hugh; Ewing, Keith; McColgan, Aileen (2019). "Freedom of Association and Trade Union Autonomy". Labour Law. pp. 522–570. doi:10.1017/9781108617758.014. ISBN 978-1-108-61775-8. S2CID 243023161.
- L Fulton, 'Worker representation in Europe' (2015) Labour Research Department and ETUI
- Collective bargaining coverage from worker-participation.eu