The return of social pacts in the context of the current economic crisis, as seen in southern European countries, invites the revival of the discussion about the development of social dialogue practice in its specific context. Based on a longitudinal analysis we examine the agenda of Spanish...

This paper addresses the design of the machinery of collective bargaining from the perspective of the needs of microeconomic and macroeconomic flexibility. In the former context, greater attention is given over to enterprise flexibility than external adjustment. In the latter context, close...

Does pro-union collective bargaining legislation increase a country's rate of union membership? Contrary to conventional thinking, this paper argues that a number of significant pro-union labor laws may actually reduce union membership rates. The paper develops a series of closely-related models...

This working paper addresses the incidence of double breasting as a means of trade union avoidance in multinational companies. Double breasting is a phenomenon whereby multi-establishment firms concurrently operate union and non-union facilities. Drawing on survey findings from the largest and...

Subcontracting — the practice of using intermediaries to contract workers, whether through temp agencies, manpower agencies, franchise, or other multilayered contracting — is an increasingly popular pattern of employment worldwide. Whether justified from a business perspective or not,...

The emergence of social media, from Facebook to Myspace and Linkedin to Twitter - much like the earlier evolution of email, IM and web 2.0 - have changed communications, expanding the virtual horizons for social networking and business promotion on these popular communications platforms....

A newspaper company creates a workplace communications systems policy that prohibits use of its e-mail for non-job-related or outside solicitations and then disciplines an employee who sends several union-related e-mails to employees. The employer permits other personal uses of its e-mail...

This article examines the recent changes to the federal legal regime that controls the taking of protected industrial action in Australia. It considers the impact of both the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2005 (Cth) and the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Act...

Since the 1930s, the fundamental tenet of American labor law has been the government should foster employee organization and regulate industrial relations to promote equity in bargaining between employers and employees and to promote industrial peace. Those who enacted our basic labor laws, as...