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Trade Liberalization, Collective Bargaining and Workers: Wages and Working Conditions

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  • Bastien Alvarez
  • Gianluca Orefice
  • Farid Toubal

Abstract

Using large scale data on Eastern European workers, we show significant and sizable deteriorations of their wages and working conditions in regions that faced large tariff liberalization and strong erosion of collective bargaining over the process of accession to the European Union. Import tariffs liberalization reduces workers' wages. The deterioration of working conditions is mostly driven by increased labor demand due to the improvement of Eastern countries' international market access. The erosion of collective bargaining worsens wages and working conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Bastien Alvarez & Gianluca Orefice & Farid Toubal, 2022. "Trade Liberalization, Collective Bargaining and Workers: Wages and Working Conditions," Working Papers 2022-02, CEPII research center.
    • Handle: RePEc:cii:cepidt:2022-02
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Trade Liberalization; Working Conditions; Wages; Labor Market Institutions; Eastern Europe; E.U. Enlargement;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects
    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions

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