EUROPEAN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS: COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN THE EU AND EU MEMBER STATES

The paper will describe the main trends in industrial relations (IR) and its institutions in the EU that currently show a mix of continuity and diversity. The author will pay attention to position of collective actors in industrial relations: trade unions and employers' associations respectively. For each, the main organisational features and representation of members will be emphasized. A key institution in the relation between unions (workers/employees) and employers (firms/public institutions) is the collective labour agreement. The paper states that national industrial relations regimes remain diverse - mainly between the EU-15 and the 12 New Member States, but also within them in different country groupings. The effect of the current financial and economic crisis on industrial relation arrangements is not yet clear. A description of the trends and variations in industrial conflict will be discussed. The conclusions of the paper will stress that trade unions and employers' organisations were recognised as being major interlocutors for several governments seeking to respond to the crisis. Together with monetary and fiscal stimulus policies, negotiation and consultation involving the social partners have played a significant role in limiting negative social consequences. On the whole, industrial relations in Europe have been vital. In 2010, the Cross-Industry Social Dialogue Committee adopted a joint contribution, that stressed a number of crucial for successful economic recovery objectives: reform of the global financial system, restoring and improving growth dynamics to create more and better jobs, promoting skills and entrepreneurship, revitalising the single market and developing an integrated EU industrial policy among others. The paper will suggest continuing studies of the financial and economic situation in the EU Member countries in 2011-2012 to analyse the role of social dialogue in critical times for the Europe.