socialdialogueandthepublicservicesintheaftermathofthe.docVIP

Social dialogue and the public services in the aftermath of the economic crisis: strengthening partnership in an era of austerity Stephen Bach and Alexandra Stroleny, King’s College, London, February 2013 European Commission project Coordinated by Professor Stephen Bach, King’s College, London ‘Industrial Relations and Social Dialogue’ VP/2011/001 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Project Aims 1 Social Dialogue: Three Scenarios 2 Research Approach 10 Programme of Work 11 Chapter 2: Public Employment and Fiscal Consolidation. 13 Local Government and the Regions 17 Fiscal Consolidation 20 Summary 22 Chapter 3: Social Dialogue in Tough Times 24 Definitions and approaches 24 Tripartism 24 Joint Consultation 25 Cross–border 26 The role of collective bargaining: sovereign and model employer traditions 27 Collective bargaining: national variations 29 Cross-border social dialogue: sectoral social dialogue committees [SSDCs] 31 Summary 34 Chapter 4: Austerity and Social Dialogue: Country Comparisons 36 Drivers of austerity 36 Measures and consequences 39 Social dialogue – restriction, resilience or reconfiguration? 43 Restriction 43 Resilience 48 Reconfiguration 54 Chapter 5: Conclusions and policy implications 58 References 63 Table of Figures Figure 3: Share of public sector employment as a proportion of total employment 15 Figure 4: People employed in Public Administration and Defence and Compulsory Social Security as a percentage of those employed in all NACE activities 15 Figure 5: People employed in Education as percentage of those employed in all NACE activities 16 Figure 6: People employed in Human Health Social Work Activities as Percentage of those employed in all NACE activities 17 Figure 7: Breakdown of subnational* expenditure by economic function in the EU 27 in 2010 18 Figure 8: Categories of Sub-national revenue in 2011 (%) 19 Figure 9: Local government expenditure as a proportion of GDP 19 Figure 10: General Government Consolida