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Employment protection regulation, trade unions and tenure of employment: An analysis in 23 European countries

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  • Tomas Berglund
  • Bengt FurÃ¥ker

Abstract

This article focuses on the relationship between employment protection regulation (EPL), trade unions and tenure of employment. A main hypothesis is that EPL strictness tends to prolong tenure, because rigorous rules imply that remaining with the same employer gives more job security. The role of unions can be expected to be similar. These assumptions are related to issues regarding dualisation in the labour market. Data used are the European Working Conditions Survey 2010—including 23 countries and more than 18,500 employees—combined with national†level data on EPL, unemployment, union density and collective bargaining coverage. The analyses reveal that EPL strictness and bargaining coverage are associated with longer tenure. The same goes for having an employee representative in the workplace. The institutional variables work through interactions with individual†level variables. For example, the impact of age, which is strongly linked to tenure, increases with stricter EPL and higher bargaining coverage.

Suggested Citation

  • Tomas Berglund & Bengt FurÃ¥ker, 2016. "Employment protection regulation, trade unions and tenure of employment: An analysis in 23 European countries," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(5-6), pages 492-512, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:indrel:v:47:y:2016:i:5-6:p:492-512
    DOI: 10.1111/irj.12159
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Karpuz, Ahmet & Kim, Kirak & Ozkan, Neslihan, 2020. "Employment protection laws and corporate cash holdings," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    3. Gagliardi, Nicola & Grinza, Elena & Rycx, François, 2021. "Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks? New Evidence on the Impact of Tenure on Productivity," IZA Discussion Papers 14432, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Theresa Geißler & Laszlo Goerke, 2023. "Educational Mismatch and Labour Market Institutions: The Role of Gender," Working Papers 2023.14, International Network for Economic Research - INFER.
    5. Björn Becker & Laszlo Goerke & Yue Huang, 2024. "Trade Union Membership and Life Satisfaction," IAAEU Discussion Papers 202408, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    6. Nicola Gagliardi & Elena Grinza & François Rycx, 2023. "Workers’ tenure and firm productivity: New evidence from matched employer‐employee panel data," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(1), pages 3-33, January.
    7. Adrian Chadi & Laszlo Goerke, 2023. "Seeking shelter in times of crisis? unemployment, perceived job insecurity and trade union membership," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 90(359), pages 1041-1088, July.
    8. Guglielmo Forges Davanzati & Lucia Mongelli, 2017. "Does Rising Unemployment Lead To Policies Of Labour Flexibility? The Italian Case (1990 – 2013)," Working Papers 0026, ASTRIL - Associazione Studi e Ricerche Interdisciplinari sul Lavoro.

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