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Unions, Temporary Employment and Hours of Work: A Tale of Two Countries

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  • Marco Francesconi

    (University of Essex)

  • Carlos García Serrano

    (Universidad de Alcalá)

Abstract

This paper is the first attempt to analyse the relationship between unionisation, temporary employment and non-standard hours of work, comparing Spain and Britain, which are characterised by relatively different labour market structures and substantially different degrees of employment protections. Despite such differences, these two countries show similar responses of unionisation to flexible employment. In particular, we find that union recognition in Britain and firm-level union presence in Spain do not respond to changes in long hours of work and overtime hours, whereas temporary employment is negatively correlated with union coverage in both countries. We find, however, some differences between the two countries when the samples are stratified by industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Marco Francesconi & Carlos García Serrano, 2004. "Unions, Temporary Employment and Hours of Work: A Tale of Two Countries," Revista de Economía Laboral - Spanish Journal of Labour Economics, Asociación Española de Economía Laboral - AEET, vol. 1, pages 38-75.
    • Handle: RePEc:rel:journl:y:2004:v:1:n:1:p:38-75
    Note: Vol. 1, Núm. 1 (2004)
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Collective bargaining; trade unions; temporary employment; hours of work;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects
    • J53 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Labor-Management Relations; Industrial Jurisprudence

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