In many regulated industries labour uions are strong and there is clear empirical evidence of labour rent-sharing. We study optimal regulation in a model in which wages are determined endogenously by wage bargaining at the firm level. Compared to the case in which wages do not depend on the...

A firm can either subject its workers to strict rules and regulations or grant them independence. If independent, they can make entrenchment-investments which will not only raise their productivity but also make the firm depend on their cooperation. However, in contrast to a standard holdup...