The Role of Collective Bargaining in the Global Economy: Negotiating for Social Justice

Participation in the global economy can contribute to growth and development, but as the recent financial crisis demonstrated, such participation can also threaten employment, wages and labour standards. This volume examines the role that collective bargaining plays in ensuring that participation in the global economy is balanced, fair and just. Collective bargaining is often seen as either an impediment to the smooth functioning of markets, or as ineffective. This volume focuses on the other side of the story and demonstrates the positive contribution that collective bargaining can make to both economic and social goals. No one size fits all and the various contributions examine how this fundamental principle and right at work is realized in different country settings and how its practice can be reinforced across borders. The volume also highlights the numerous challenges in this regard and the critically important role that governments play in rebalancing bargaining power in a global economy. The chapters are written in an accessible style and deal with practical subjects (e.g. employment security, workplace change and productivity and working time). Co-published with Edward Elgar.