New report analysis impact of economic governance on collective bargaining

A new ETUI publication, Multi-employer bargaining under pressure: decentralisation trends in five European countries, investigates developments in the shift from centrally coordinated multi-employer to decentralized collective bargaining in a number of EU Member States where the former has been traditionally stronger (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Spain). It also looks at whether company level bargaining can play a useful new role in setting working conditions, without paving the way for social dumping and widened inequalities.

A national, legal minimum wage introduced at €8.50 an hour would provide a €19.5 billion boost to the economy, according to a new report commissioned by the ver.di services union and NGG food and catering union. The report by the Pestel Institute estimates that nine million workers would benefit from a minimum wage at that level leading to a €13.5 billion increase in purchasing power in west Germany and €5.6 billion in east Germany. The unions also point out that an €8.50 minimum wage would also reduce the state's bill for topping up low pay which is currently around €10 billion a year. [Read