Representation on the Labour Market: Workers and Employers

Question 1

political processes about the nature of work and employment

Answer 1

wages / labour rights / labour conditions / labour contracts / labour market policies

Question 2

relations industrial relations

Answer 2

it is principally relational; there are people that work and there are people that hire them: employee/worker employer/owner

Question 3

political - industrial relations

Answer 3

power is used to advance competing interests.

markets are not just determined by market
forces.

labor markets are heavenly effected by the labor market game influenced by employers and employees.

–> there are laws, rules and rights to protect

Question 4

the players in industrial relations

Answer 4

employers - workers

workers - trade union - employers
workers - works council - employers

trade union - trade union federation

trade union federation - government

employers - employers organization
trade union - employers organization

employers organization - employers federation

employers federation - government

Question 5

main actors industrial relations

Answer 5

workers and employers. To some extent they have a conflictual relation. Someone has
to compromise.

these people have interests. They don’t have to individually take those interests and do something with this, they do this collectively.

workers can do this by trade unions, left wing parties and works council (lowest point).

Question 6

works council

Answer 6

it is mandatory in the Netherlands that you have a works council when you have a certain amount of workers. oriented on business policies.

you vote on people and they take place in the work council and represent them.

Question 7

trade unions

Answer 7

mostly located in the sector level, taking care of the collective interests of the workers.

these are not bounded to one company. They can address safety issues, lobby government.

they can represent interest that transcend on company level. They have the right to organize strikes

Question 8

employers organization

Answer 8

Collective interests of employers. Buy something together and collectively use this to decrease costs. Work with the trade union. Multi-employer bargaining

Question 9

Trade union federation and employer’s federation

Answer 9

broader interest representation. The members are other organization.

Question 10

The rules: labour market institutions

Answer 10

neo-corporatism, tripartism & social partnership

labour law & social policies

collective bargaining & collective agreements

Question 11

neo-corporatism

Answer 11

new corporatism (related to fascism); we want a political system where the classes and government make consensus

Question 12

tripartism

Answer 12

three parties: government, trade unions and federations

Question 13

insiders

Answer 13

those with secure employment

Question 14

outsiders

Answer 14

those in precarious work situations, like temporary contracts, unemployment, or self-employment

Question 15

insider-outside devide

Answer 15

exists in the netherlands

primarily driven by considerations regarding self-interest rather than by workplace cohesion stemming from (a lack of) social interaction with colleagues

outsiderness defined by employment status does lower people’s willingness to join trade unions, outsiderness as defined by social risks do not

outsiders less likely to be a union member / less willing to join trade unions than insider

Question 16

why do employers join employers’ organizations?

Answer 16

1. EOs provide collective resources to counterbalance trade unions’ power, protecting businesses from strikes and offering legal and negotiation support. This remains a key motivation despite the decline in union power
   –> countervailing labour power
2. Larger companies often dominate EOs due to their resources and influence. EOs serve as lobbying entities and provide business services like HR, legal, and tax support, making them attractive to members
   –> organizational poewr / representation

Question 17

conclusions on joining employer organizations

Answer 17

Larger companies are more likely to join EOs due to their ability to influence policies and benefit from EOs’ services.

Higher unionization at workplaces correlates with higher EO membership, as union presence increases the need for collective employer representation.

EO membership rates vary by country and industry, influenced by national coordination mechanisms and the existence of tripartite councils.