Decentralisation of Collective Bargaining in the Retail Sector
- Valentina Paolucci 1
- Jan Czarzasty 4
- Ana Belén Muñoz Ruiz 3
- Nuria Ramos Martín 2
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1
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
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2
University of Amsterdam
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3
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
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4
Warsaw School of Economics
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Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
ISBN: 978-90-4856-023-3, 978-90-4856-024-0
Year of publication: 2023
Pages: 113-142
Type: Book chapter
Sustainable development goals
Abstract
This chapter shows that traditional industrial relations classifications, basedon national institutional features, have become sector-specific. Companycase studies indicate that in retailing, which is characterised by generallypoor working conditions, market structures and company characteristicstend to condition unions’ capacity to engage in collective bargaining. Onlyin Sweden, where the institutional framework continues to provide a significant degree of procedural security through coordinating mechanisms,have unions been able to retain control over the decentralisation processand to play an important role at the company level. Nevertheless, in large,often internationalised companies, unions that are proactive and willingto mobilise their organisational resources, as demonstrated by Irish andGerman cases, are still able to make a positive difference for workers.