Collective bargaining beyond pay: An analysis of collective agreements in selected low-paid sectors

This report analyses and compares the content of 94 collective agreements in three low-paid sectors – manufacture of food, leather, textiles and clothes; residential and social care; and retail – across 11 EU Member States and Norway. The report examines how collective bargaining regulates working conditions beyond wages and how these topics have evolved between 2015 and 2022. The findings show that collective agreements improve the job quality of workers in low-paid sectors beyond their pay. In addition to securing higher earnings, through additional bonuses and allowances for example, agreements also provide non-monetary benefits and opportunities for career advancement. The report finds that collective agreements focus increasingly on the well-being of employees, work–life balance or special protection for both younger and older workers.