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Impact of Opening Clauses on Bargained Wages

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  • Wolf Dieter Heinbach

Abstract

This paper is an analysis of the impact of different bargaining regimes on firm-specific wages and wage dispersion. In recent years, firms in Germany favored more flexible than collective bargained wages. Opening clauses were introduced to combine collective bargaining and flexible adaptation of e.g. wages to firm-specific needs. In an own survey, it was evaluated whether central collective agreements contain these opening clauses. Then, the gathered information about opening clauses were linked to the Salary and Wage Structure Survey 2001. Focussing on central bargaining agreements, it has been tested whether bargained wages and wage dispersion differ under opened central bargaining coverage from that of non-opened central bargaining regimes. While wages with collective bargaining regimes tend to be higher, it could be found that wage dispersion under opened central collective bargaining coverage is slightly wider compared to non-opened central bargaining regime.

Suggested Citation

  • Wolf Dieter Heinbach, 2005. "Impact of Opening Clauses on Bargained Wages," IAW Discussion Papers 22, Institut für Angewandte Wirtschaftsforschung (IAW).
    • Handle: RePEc:iaw:iawdip:22
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    File URL: http://www.iaw.edu/RePEc/iaw/pdf/iaw_dp_22.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Kohaut, Susanne & Schnabel, Claus, 2006. "Tarifliche Öffnungsklauseln : Verbreitung, Inanspruchnahme und Bedeutung," Discussion Papers 41, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Chair of Labour and Regional Economics.
    2. Nicole Gürtzgen, 2006. "The Effect of Firm- ans Industry-Level Contracts on Wages: Evidence from Longitudinal Linked Employer-Employee Data," ZEW Discussion Papers 06-082, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    3. Gürtzgen, Nicole & Garloff, Alfred, 2008. "Innovationen in den Rahmenbedingungen von Tarifverhandlungen: Endbericht zum Projekt," ZEW Expertises, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, number 110513.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    wages and wage dispersion; opening clauses; collective bargaining;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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