Slip Sliding Away: Further Union Decline in Germany and Britain

John Addison, Alex Bryson, Paulino Teixeira and André Pahnke

No 4760, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

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: shift share analysis; worker representation; behavioral and composition effects; union recognition; patterns of erosion; union coverage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J50 J51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 36 pages
Date: 2010-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-bec, nep-eur, nep-lab and nep-ltv
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Published - published in: Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 2011, 58 (4), 490-518

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https://docs.iza.org/dp4760.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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