City Research Online

Abstract

This study investigates nominal contractual base-wage adjustments in Greece associated with the 2011 industrial relations reform which re-defined the limits within which base wages could oscillate and allowed workers’ associations to negotiate for wages at the firm level. The assessment covers the period 2010-2013 and is based on information extracted from the universe of firm-level contracts signed in this period. We found that firm-level contracts increased dramatically shortly after the reform, now covering a larger pool of workers, especially in larger firms, and are associated with higher base-wage reductions in the post-reform period. At the firm level, wage reductions are higher when workers are represented by a workers’ association rather than a typical trade union. In addition, a heterogeneous effect is uncovered regarding the factors that shape base-wage adjustments (firm size, profitability, structure of bargaining body and aggregate unemployment) between new and traditional forms of workers’ representation in collective bargaining.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Journal of Labor Research. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12122-016-9232-5
Publisher Keywords:	Wages Collective bargaining Reform Greece
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DF Greece H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Departments:	School of Policy & Global Affairs > Economics
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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