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Collective bargaining and poverty: a cross-national perspective

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  • François Rycx
  • Robert Plasman

Abstract

A large and increasing number of studies examine the influence of collective bargaining systems on wage dispersion, but very few analyse their influence on poverty levels. Yet it would be a mistake to assume that the relationship between wage dispersion and poverty rates is straightforward: the evidence shows that in most industrialized countries, poverty is not primarily a problem of the working poor. This article addresses explicitly the relationship between collective bargaining systems and relative poverty rates in OECD countries. Empirical findings suggest that industrial relations systems have a significant impact upon poverty, not through any direct effect on wage dispersion, but from their relative impact on government spending on social security.

Suggested Citation

  • François Rycx & Robert Plasman, 2001. "Collective bargaining and poverty: a cross-national perspective," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/795, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    • Handle: RePEc:ulb:ulbeco:2013/795
    Note: SCOPUS: ar.j
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    Cited by:

    1. Kevin Pineda‐Hernández & François Rycx & Mélanie Volral, 2022. "How collective bargaining shapes poverty: New evidence for developed countries," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 60(4), pages 895-928, December.
    2. David Brady & Jennifer Moren Cross & Andrew Fullerton, 2010. "More than Just Nickels and Dimes: A Cross-National Analysis of Working Poverty in Affluent Democracies," LIS Working papers 545, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    3. David Brady & Regina Baker & Ryan Finnigan, 2013. "When Unionization Disappears: State-Level Unionization and Working Poverty in the U.S," LIS Working papers 590, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    4. Jeroen Horemans, 2016. "The part-time poverty gap across Europe: How institutions affect the way part-time and full-time workers avoid poverty differently," Working Papers 1603, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.

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