Slip Sliding Away: Further Union Decline in Germany and Britain

John Addison, Alex Bryson, André Pahnke and Paulino Teixeira

CEP Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Performance, LSE

Abstract: This paper presents the first comparative analysis of the decline in collective bargaining in two European countries where that decline has been most pronounced. Using workplace-level data and a common model, we present decompositions of changes in collective bargaining and worker representation in the private sector in Germany and Britain over the period 1998-2004. In both countries within-effects dominate compositional changes as the source of the recent decline in unionism. Overall, the decline in collective bargaining is more pronounced in Britain than in Germany, thus continuing a trend apparent since the 1980s. Although workplace characteristics differ markedly across the two countries, assuming counterfactual values of these characteristics makes little difference to unionization levels. Expressed differently, the German dummy looms large.

Keywords: union recognition; union coverage; worker representation in works councils/ joint consultative committees; patterns of erosion; behavioural and composition effects; shift share analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J50 J51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-bec and nep-eur
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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https://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp0971.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: SLIP SLIDING AWAY: FURTHER UNION DECLINE IN GERMANY AND BRITAIN (2011)
Working Paper: Slip sliding away: further union decline in Germany and Britain (2010)
Working Paper: Slip Sliding Away: Further Union Decline in Germany and Britain (2010)
Working Paper: Slip Sliding Away: Further Union Decline in Germany and Britain (2010)
Working Paper: Slip Sliding Away: Further Union Decline in Germany and Britain (2010)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp0971

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