Striking a balance? Flexibility and security in collective bargaining

Abstract

Often neglected in flexicurity studies is the question of how collective bargaining contributes to the development of flexicurity, despite the continued resilience of this form of regulation in many European countries. The article compares sector-level bargaining and flexicurity in the printing and electrical contracting industries of Denmark, Spain and the UK to assess this link. In line with prior research, the article finds that Danish agreements contribute significantly to flexicurity. Somewhat against conventional expectations, however, are findings in the UK and Spain. In the UK, agreements contribute significantly despite a hostile context for collective bargaining. In Spain, due to the heavy influence of legislation the contribution is more modest but nevertheless notable. This overall finding gives strong evidence for the proposed link. The article goes on to discuss if a positive contribution is facilitated by certain institutional and relational conditions.

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