In Germany, trade unions and employers' associations play a role not only in wage determination but also in issues of social policy and labour law. While the majority of firms are organized in employers' associations, less than one quarter of employees are members of a trade union. Both social...

The evolution of the view and practice of "social partnership" is one basic element in the construction of the European Union. The paper gives an overview on the key actors and institutions of Labour Relations System (LRS) with special focus on the micro- small and medium sized enteprises (SME)....

The evolution of the view and practice of "social partnership" is one basic element in the construction of the European Union. The paper gives an overview on the key actors and institutions of Labour Relations System (LRS) with special focus on the micro- small and medium sized enteprises (SME)....

We study sequential bargaining between two unions and a single firm. Parties bargain bilaterally and efficiently (over wage and employment). The unions' workforces can be substitutable ("tariff competition") or complementary ("tariff plurality" or "craft unionism"). If unions are substitutable,...

The economic and social crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe and around the world is without precedent since World War II if not before. With more than 40 million known cases in Europe in one year, and over 900 000 deaths (March 2020 to March 2021), governments have stepped up their...