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Firm heterogeneity and wages in unionised labour markets: Theory and evidence

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Author Info
Bastos, Paulo
Monteiro, Natália P.
Straume, Odd Rune

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Abstract

In many countries wages are set in two stages, where industry-level collective bargaining is followed by firm-specific arrangements determining actual paid wages as a mark-up on the industry wage floor. What explains the wage set in each of these stages? In this paper we show that both the industry wage floor and the average wage cushion are systematically associated with the degree of firm heterogeneity in the industry: The former (latter) is negatively (positively) associated with the productivity spread. Furthermore, since the response of the wage floor dominates that of the wage cushion, workers in more heterogeneous industries tend to get lower actual paid wages. These conclusions are reached in a model of Cournot oligopoly with firm productivity heterogeneity and a two-tiered wage setting system. They are then confirmed by administrative data covering virtually all workers, firms and collective bargaining agreements of the Portuguese private sector for the period 1991-2000.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Labour Economics.

Volume (Year): 16 (2009)
Issue (Month): 4 (August)
Pages: 440-450
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Handle: RePEc:eee:labeco:v:16:y:2009:i:4:p:440-450

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Related research
Keywords: Wage determination Trade unions Firm heterogeneity;

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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    Other versions:
  2. Juan J. Dolado & Florentino Felgueroso & Juan F. Jimeno, . "The effects of minimum bargained wages on earnings: Evidence from Spain," Working Papers 97-04, FEDEA.
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  3. Hibbs, Douglas Jr. & Locking, Hakan, 1996. "Wage compression, wage drift and wage inflation in Sweden," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(2), pages 109-141, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  11. Hartmut Egger & Udo Kreickemeier, 2007. "Firm Heterogeneity and the Labour Market Effects of Trade Liberalisation," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
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  12. Danthine, Jean-Pierre & Kurmann, Andre, 2006. "Efficiency wages revisited: The internal reference perspective," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 90(2), pages 278-284, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  13. Cardoso, Ana Rute, 2006. "Wage mobility: do institutions make a difference?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 387-404, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  15. Ordine, Patrizia, 1995. "Wage drift and minimum contractual wage: Theoretical interrelationship and empirical evidence for Italy," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 2(4), pages 335-357, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Olaf H¸bler & Uwe Jirjahn, 2003. "Works Councils and Collective Bargaining in Germany: The Impact on Productivity and Wages," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 50(4), pages 471-491, 09. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  17. Muysken, Joan & van Veen, Tom, 1996. " Efficiency Wages and Local Wage Bargaining," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 98(1), pages 119-27, March.
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  1. Jung, Sven & Schnabel, Claus, 2009. "Paying More than Necessary? The Wage Cushion in Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 4278, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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