Towards a European model of industrial relations? Building on the First Report of the European Commission

Book abstract:

This volume takes its title from and brings together the papers presented at an international conference held in Modena, Italy from 1-2 December 2000. The work follows the programme of the conference organised as it was in five sessions.

The first - 'Industrial Relations at European Level' - provides a resume of the evolution of European Union policy and offers opportunity to analyse the success of this policy and to explore how it might usefully develop in the future. Session 2 - 'Industrial Relations at national level' - addresses the European Commission's report on the role of the state in industrial relations. The achievements of the Community in the area of labour law and industrial relations are covered in the third session - 'Main Developments in Labour Law'. Globalisation of the market economy and it's impact on the industrial relations systems as well as the wages and working time developments of the EU Member States are the focus of the fourth session - 'Wages and Working Time'. The fifth session - 'Social Pacts in Europe' - deals with new concerns for competitiveness and employment and the involvement of the 'third party' in the traditional bilateral collective bargaining negotiations, namely the state in a variety of roles - regulator, mediator compensator or as an absent but overviewing referee with regard to the general interest of the nation.

The book will be of interest to academics, business people, political researchers, government officials and practitioners in the fields of Industrial Relations and students in European Union Studies.

Marco Biagi is Professor of Labour law, Centre of International & Comparative Studies, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia (Italy)