Industrial relations and social dialogue

Moving with the times: Emerging practices and provisions in collective bargaining

Report
Published
31 August 2022
pdf
Formats and languages
Executive summary
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Author(s): 
Rodriguez Contreras, Ricardo; Molina, Oscar

Sejbiet ewlenin

  • Collective bargaining is essential to the EU’s social market economy and can play an important role in adapting the economy to change. This is especially relevant for long-term challenges such as the digital transformation, the ageing workforce and climate change, where collective bargaining has a strong potential to generate innovative practices and provisions in negotiations between employers and workers’ representatives.
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  • Collective bargaining is essential to the EU’s social market economy and can play an important role in adapting the economy to change. This is especially relevant for long-term challenges such as the digital transformation, the ageing workforce and climate change, where collective bargaining has a strong potential to generate innovative practices and provisions in negotiations between employers and workers’ representatives.
  • The findings reveal that innovations in collective bargaining tend to be incremental and limited, mostly involving the updating of processes and topics in response to change. There is potential therefore for the social partners to harness collective bargaining as a way to develop new practices.
  • The digital transition is one of the most important drivers of change in collective bargaining, with provisions regulating telework now widespread and those covering the implementation of technology in the workplace becoming more commonplace.
  • As technological change has a direct impact on skills and job requirements, collective bargaining is increasingly addressing reskilling through training policies. In some cases, collective bargaining is anticipating future reorganisation and mitigating the impact of job losses. Provisions are also addressing labour shortages, which are becoming increasingly common.
  • Strong institutions, skilled actors and shared perceptions of the challenges in a sector or company are essential to facilitate innovative practices and provisions in collective bargaining. A previous track record of cooperation, reflected in the ability to conclude collective agreements, is particularly important.
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Sommarju

This report analyses recent developments and emerging practices in collective bargaining processes and outcomes, mainly in the private sector. The report covers collective bargaining systems in 10 EU Member States and is based on cases identified through interviews with key stakeholders and negotRead more

This report analyses recent developments and emerging practices in collective bargaining processes and outcomes, mainly in the private sector. The report covers collective bargaining systems in 10 EU Member States and is based on cases identified through interviews with key stakeholders and negotiating parties at national level. It analyses the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic and social crisis on collective bargaining dynamics and collective agreements. It also investigates practices and innovations that have emerged in response to structural drivers such as technological change, decarbonisation and climate-neutrality policies, and workforce ageing. It assesses the capacity of collective bargaining systems to adapt to structural changes in work, production and the labour market as well as medium-term trends.

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Formats and languages

  • Report

    Number of pages: 
    44
    Reference no.: 
    EF21046
    ISBN: 
    978-92-897-2270-4
    Catalogue no.: 
    TJ-03-22-015-EN-N
    DOI: 
    10.2806/279880
    Permalink: 
    eurofound.link/ef21046
    Catalogue info

    Moving with the times: Emerging practices and provisions in collective bargaining

    Author(s): 
    Rodriguez Contreras, Ricardo; Molina, Oscar
    Topics: 
    Social dialogue; European Pillar of Social Rights; Agreements; Collective bargaining; COVID-19; Industrial relations and social dialogue; Industrial relations

    Formats

    Cite this publication: 

    Eurofound (2022), Moving with the times: Emerging practices and provisions in collective bargaining, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

  • Executive summary

    Number of pages: 
    2
    Reference no.: 
    EF21046EN1
    Catalogue info

    Moving with the times: Emerging practices and provisions in collective bargaining

    Author(s): 
    Eurofound

    Available for download in 1 language

    Download

  • Tables and graphs

    The report contains the following tables and graph.

    • Table 1: Collective bargaining systems included in the study, grouped by predominant level
    • Table 2: A typology of emerging practices and provisions linked to drivers of change in collective agreements
    • Figure 1: Estimated collective bargaining coverage (%) and predominant level of agreements, EU27, 2019

Research carried out prior to the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020, and published subsequently, may include data relating to the 28 EU Member States. Following this date, research only takes into account the 27 EU Member States (EU28 minus the UK), unless specified otherwise.

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