Industrial relations. Representation, inclusion, and competitiveness

The chapter analyses the role of industrial relations on the development paths followed by advanced democracies in the last twenty years. Focusing on the same eight countries studied in this book, it presents, first of all, the historical characteristics of the industrial relations system of the different groups of countries. Then it discusses their effects on competitiveness and social cohesion, paying attention to: the relationship between industrial relations, politics and polity; the logics of action of the social partners; the features of the practices implemented. Drawing on literature, research reports, and existing statistics, the chapter highlights that more structured industrial relations systems, with strong and encompassing trade unions and inclusive collective bargaining, have been able to better coping with pressures for labour segmentation and tendencies towards a deterioration of job quality, containing inequalities and, at the same time, allowing a certain economic dynamism. Finally, the chapter emphasises that, despite the pressures to which they are subjected and some signs of weakening in the recent years, in the majority of countries, industrial relations systems have showed good resilience, maintaining their main characteristics, with an important effect of path dependency. And confirming differences in terms of impact on competitiveness and social cohesion.