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Working Environment and ‘Soft Law’ in the Post‐Communist New Member States

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  • CHARLES WOOLFSON

Abstract

Current, admittedly incomplete evidence, suggests a deteriorating working environment in the new Member States of central and eastern Europe. Moreover, support for occupational health and safety regulation concerning the working environment appears to be limited among business and political elites in the new Member States. This has created a lack of policy ‘reform fit’ between the ‘social dimension’ of a European social model and domestic agendas dominated by more ‘business‐friendly’ free market considerations. The European Commission has also currently adopted ‘deregulationary’ assumptions concerning the need to ‘simplify’ the acquis, as well as advocating ‘soft law’ as an alternative to traditional regulatory instruments such as directives. However, the lack of contextual industrial relations supports, in particular, the power imbalance in industrial relations due to the weakness of trade unions and social dialogue at workplace level, make uncertain prospects for ‘soft law’ as a strategy for working environment improvements in the new Member States.

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  • Charles Woolfson, 2006. "Working Environment and ‘Soft Law’ in the Post‐Communist New Member States," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(1), pages 195-215, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:44:y:2006:i:1:p:195-215
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-5965.2006.00619.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bernard Funck & Lodovico Pizzati, 2002. "Labor, Employment, and Social Policies in the EU Enlargement Process : Changing Perspectives and Policy Options," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15235.
    2. Knill, Christoph & Lenschow, Andrea, 2003. "Modes of Regulation in the Governance of the European Union: Towards a Comprehensive Evaluation," European Integration online Papers (EIoP), European Community Studies Association Austria (ECSA-A), vol. 7, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gudrun Biffl & Thomas Leoni & Christine Mayrhuber, 2009. "Arbeitsplatzbelastungen, arbeitsbedingte Krankheiten und Invalidität," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 35901.
    2. repec:erp:cevipo:p0039 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Gudrun Biffl & Thomas Leoni, 2008. "Arbeitsbedingte Erkrankungen. Schätzung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Kosten mit dem Schwerpunkt auf physischen Belastungen," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 35099.
    4. repec:ulb:ulbcvp:p0039 is not listed on IDEAS

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