Publications

This literature review examines the role of micro and small enterprises in the Japanese and US economies, looks at employment relations in both countries and surveys evidence from literature and comparisons with the EU. It provides a general overview in the case of the USA.

The Foundation has compiled literature review reports on employment relations in micro and small enterprises in a number of countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK, and the USA, as well as two feature reviews of Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, and Japan and the USA. This review presents the main results with regard to collective representation, collective bargaining, working and employment conditions, conflicts, size and sector considerations.

The first section of this paper provides a general overview of the economic and social role played by the European micro and small enterprises. Topics analysed include a description of the enterprise structure in the European Union (EU) by enterprise size (number of enterprises, employment and turnover), with special attention to country/sector considerations. In addition, attention is paid to the employment characteristics within the EU micro and small enterprises (i.e. sex and age considerations, education levels, type of contracts, duration of employment relations, etc). Finally, a comparison between the role of EU micro and small enterprises in comparison to their US and Japanese counterparts will be held. The second section sets out to provide a definition of the ‘employment relations’ concept. The section also looks into the European Member States’ regulatory frameworks related to employment relations, always from an enterprise size perspective. Examples include legal provisions on staff representation, information and consultation to employees, employees’ participation within the supervisory and administrative bodies and, finally, legal provisions related to collective bargaining and strikes.

According to available data for 1996, micro and small enterprises (this is, enterprises with 1 to 49 employees) account for around 30% of the total US employment, where this share is lower than the EU average (52%). This literature review examines micro and small enterprises in the US economy, studies employment relations from a legal perspective and as they pertain to small business, as well as looking at collective representation and bargaining, working and employment conditions, arbitration procedures, size and sector considerations.

Among OECD countries, Japan - together with Italy - has the highest proportion of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). According to data published by the Management and Coordination Agency, in the manufacturing sector alone in 1996 were operating 665,540 SMEs - defined as enterprises with less than 301 regular employees. These firms accounted for 99.7 per cent of the total of Japanese manufacturing enterprises. In the same year, manufacturing SMEs employed 7,311,993 people, or the 62.1 per cent of the total. This literature review examines the role of small firms in the Japanese economy and the legislative framework. It looks at collective representation and bargaining, working and employment conditions, arbitration procedures, size and sector considerations. It concludes with policy implications.

This literature review defines its terms of reference as an introduction. It then examines small business in France, including issues of collective representation and bargaining, working and employment conditions, arbitration procedures, size and sector considerations. It concludes with policy implications.

The overall unionisation rate of employees in Finland is very high (96.5%). This literature review examines small business in Finland, including issues of collective representation and bargaining, working and employment conditions, arbitration procedures, size and sector considerations. It concludes with policy implications.

The new system of industrial relations started evolving in the early 1990s in Bulgaria. In March 1990, the National Assembly adopted the Law on Collective Labour Dispute Settlement, which laid the foundations of new collective labour relations. The amendments in the Labour Code from 1992 provided the legal foundations for the setting up of the tripartite partnership mechanisms aiming to better regulate the labour relations and to settle the collective labour disputes in the enterprises. This literature review examines small business in Bulgaria, including issues of collective representation and bargaining, working and employment conditions, arbitration procedures, size and sector considerations. It concludes with policy implications.

This literature review examines the role of micro and small enterprises in the Bulgarian and Czech economies, looks at employment relations in both countries and surveys evidence from literature and comparisons with the EU.

At its 31st conference in November 2002, the Greek General Confederation of
Labour (GSEE) took a number of important decisions on organisational
restructuring. There will be closer cooperation and, it is planned, eventual
merger with the Confederation of Public Servants (ADEDY), along with greater
coordination between GSEE member organisations at regional, prefectural and
sector level. The conference also adopted measures on economic independence
and amended GSEE's statutes.