Database of wages, working time and collective disputes

Sources

Many of the variables presented in the database have been compiled or presented in previous projects, as follows:

• Several of the wage-setting related variables were specified in such a way that they are closely related to or build upon variables contained in Visser 2015 (ICTWSS 5.0) [Note that ICTWSS 5.1 is available], so that a correspondence could be mapped. Where this is the case, similar variable names have been used (See also: Codebook for ICTWSS 5.0 ).
• The working time setting related variables closely mirror those in the area of pay-setting.
• The data generated on dispute resolution mechanisms drew on Eurofound's report on Collective dispute resolution in an enlarged European Union.
• The data on collectively agreed pay outcomes have been compiled over several years via the EurWORK series: ‘Developments in collectively agreed pay’ (the most recent being Developments in collectively agreed pay 2000-2017).
• Data on collectively agreed and statutory working time have been compiled in the EurWORK series: ‘Developments in collectively agreed working time’ (the most recent being Working time in 2017–2018 , and they have been reviewed in the report on Working time developments in the 21st century – Work duration and its regulation in the EU.

Further qualitative information on national systems of collective bargaining in the area of pay and working time, as well as dispute resolution mechanisms can be found in EurWORK's working life country profiles.

Process of data generation and validation

For the system-related variables, Eurofound drew up a questionnaire which was discussed with some members of Eurofound's network of European correspondents in a workshop in Amsterdam in November 2015. National experts from the full network subsequently completed the questionnaire. On the basis of ICTWSS data, correspondents were asked to validate the figures provided and to give reasons in cases where they opted to use different data. An internal revision took place at Eurofound, involving further queries to correspondents, before the process for the data generation in version 1.0 was completed. The national contributors to the 2.0 version are listed in the codebook.

The data will be reviewed and validated in future years, with updates planned for every second year.

Suggested citation and contact

When using the data, please cite as: Eurofound (2019), EurWORK’s database on wages, working time and collective disputes, version 2.1, June 2019

Users of the database are invited to send their observations, comments or questions to Christine Aumayr-Pintar (cau@eurofound.europa.eu).

Eurofound research team version 2.1: Christine Aumayr-Pintar, Karel Fric, Ricardo Rodriguez, Matthias Rasche. The team also wish to thank Prof. Kea Tijdens, AIAS, University of Amsterdam for helpful comments on the revised questionnaire.

In light of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020, it should be noted that much data published on the Eurofound website continues to include the 28 EU Member States, as the UK was included in earlier research. This will be progressively amended to reflect the current composition of the 27 EU Member States.