Informationen zum Forschungsprojekt

Minimum Wage Systems and Changing Industrial Relations in Europe

Background and objectives

The objective of this project is to investigate the complex relationships betweencollective bargaining and diverse country systems for setting minimum wages.Existing studies highlight the substantial variation in systems for settingminimum wages across the EU, including use of statutory provision or collectivebargaining, use of single or multiple rates and differences in trends in therelative level of the minimum wage. This project aims to extend existing knowledgeby focusing on the specific roles of social partner organisations (employersand unions) in shaping minimum wage systems and thereby draw relevant recommendationsfor social dialogue policy and practice. What are the varied strategies of tradeunions and employer associations regarding the development of minimum wagesin each country? Does minimum wage setting by statutory provision crowd outcollective bargaining? What are trade union and employer strategies towardsminimum wage setting in collective agreements (binding and non binding)? Whatfactors influence the relationship between a national minimum wage and minimumrates in collective agreements? What is the influence of objectives regardinglow pay and gender pay equity on social dialogue on minimum wages?

Approach

Collection of qualitative and quantitative data in a 5-country comparativeanalysis (Croatia, Germany, Spain, Hungary, United Kingdom) is designed to furtherdevelop expertise in the functioning of minimum wages in diverse country modelsof industrial relations. Fieldwork will involve selected case studies of sectoraland organisational collective agreements and include interviews with socialpartner representatives. Secondary data will be collected on pay, collectiveagreements and union membership at national, sectoral and organisational levels.Additional contextual research includes state-of-the-art reviews of an additionalfour EU member states, drawing on published data. There is currently strongpolicy interest at member state and EU level regarding the implications of diverseminimum wage systems for improving the social dimension of economic growth inthe European region and this 12-month project is designed in response to thisinterest. A key goal of the research is to disseminate the new knowledge andto contribute to improved social dialogue in this area.

Publikationen zum Projekt

Bosch, Gerhard / Weinkopf, Claudia, 2011: Industry-wide minimum wages in Germany: uncertain progress along a bumpy road. Paper prepared for RDW Network's Second Conference on Regulating for a Fair Recovery on 6-8 July 2011. Geneva: International Labour Office | DOI-Link | Lesen

Bosch, Gerhard / Kalina, Thorsten, 2010: Germany: What role for minimum wages on low-wage work? In: Daniel Vaughan-Whitehead: The minimum wage revisited in the enlarged EU, pp. 185–212

Bosch, Gerhard / Kalina, Thorsten (Mitarb.) / Weinkopf, Claudia, 2010: National Report Germany: EC project – Minimum Wage Systems and Changing Industrial Relations in Europe. Manchester: University, Manchester Business School

Bosch, Gerhard / Weinkopf, Claudia, 2009: Working for little money: does Germany really need a minimum wage? In: Intereconomics 44 (6), pp. 353-360

Vorträge zum Projekt

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Bosch, Dr. Claudia Weinkopf: Minimum wages, collectively negotiated wages and wage inequality. CRIMT International Conference. Montreal, Canada, Interuniversity Research Centre on Globalization and Work (CRIMT), 25.10.2012

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Bosch, Dr. Claudia Weinkopf: Minimum wages, collective agreements and wage inequality. Stream 1: Labour market and working conditions. Pathways to recovery: an agenda for another Europe. 33rd annual conference of the International Working Party on Labour Market Segmentation. Italy, Rome, IWPLMS, 14.09.2012

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Bosch, Dr. Claudia Weinkopf: The impact of industry-specific minimum wages in Germany. Stream 2: Pathways to recovery. Pathways to recovery: an agenda for another Europe. 33rd annual conference of the International Working Party on Labour Market Segmentation. Italy, Rome, IWPLMS, 13.09.2012

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Bosch, Dr. Claudia Weinkopf: Industry-wide minimum wages in Germany: Uncertain progress along a bumpy road. 2nd Conference on Regulating for Decent Work: Regulating for a Fair recovery. 6-8 July 2011. Geneva, Switzerland, ILO, 06.07.2011  Paper

Dr. Claudia Weinkopf: The challenges for social dialogue in the cleaning sector - research findings. Conference "Minimum wage systems and changing industrial relations in Europe". Brussels, Thon Hotel, Brussels City Centre, Manchester Business School in cooperation with the European Commission, 23.09.2010

Projektdaten

Laufzeit des Projektes
01.10.2009 - 30.09.2010

Forschungsabteilung
Flexibilität und Sicherheit

Leitung:
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Bosch

Bearbeitung:
Dr. Claudia Weinkopf, Dr. Thorsten Kalina, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Bosch

Finanzierung:
University of Manchester