Special issue: Collective wage regulation in northern Europe under strain

Summary:

In the aftermath of the economic crisis which exploded a decade ago, much research has examined the impact on industrial relations in the countries most seriously affected, primarily in southern Europe. Either for domestic political reasons or under pressure from the Troika and other international actors, as well as the EU ‘new economic governance’, there has been a widespread drive to weaken collective regulation of employment and to devolve collective bargaining to company level.

Yet countries of northern Europe have not been immune to such developments, even if their form has been less severe and their imposition less dramatic. How and why has this occurred? This special issue explores collective bargaining under strain in a number of these countries, in particular the Nordic nations.

Articles:

Collective wage regulation in northern Europe under strain: Multiple drivers of change and differing responses
Jon Erik Dølvik, Paul Marginson, Kristin Alsos, Jens Arnholtz, Guglielmo Meardi, Torsten Müller, Sissel Trygstad

Collective wage bargaining under strain in northern European construction: Resisting institutional drift?
Jens Arnholtz, Guglielmo Meardi, Johannes Oldervoll

The manufacturing sector: Still an anchor for pattern bargaining within and across countries?
Torsten Müller, Jon Erik Dølvik, Christian Ibsen, Thorsten Schulten

Dealing with austerity and migration in the northern European cleaning sector: Social partner strategies to strengthen wage floors
Sissel Trygstad, Trine P Larsen, Kristine Nergaard

Temporary work agencies: Triangular disorganization or multilevel regulation?
Kristin Alsos, Claire Evans

Cross-sectoral coordination and regulation of wage determination in northern Europe: Divergent responses to multiple external pressures
Jon Erik Dølvik, Paul Marginson