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Collective bargaining in Portugal in the aftermath of the crisis: trends and prospects

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  • Isabel Távora

Abstract

This article examines the decline of collective bargaining in Portugal during the recent economic crisis and why, following significant improvements in the economic and political contexts, the number of collective agreements published each year remains lower than before. Drawing on theoretical work on institutional change by Streeck and Thelen (2005) and Baccaro and Howell (2017), it argues that industrial relations institutions in Portugal have been subject to an incremental but transformative process of liberalisation. The analysis of national data and in‐depth interviews with key informants reveals that serial legal amendments since the 1990's weakened unions, converted bargaining into a mechanism to introduce flexibility and wage austerity and reduced incentives for the parties to conclude agreements. While these changes were gradual, their consequences became clear during the crisis. By improving understanding of recent developments in Portuguese collective bargaining, the article enriches knowledge of processes of liberalisation of industrial relations in Europe.

Suggested Citation

  • Isabel Távora, 2019. "Collective bargaining in Portugal in the aftermath of the crisis: trends and prospects," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(5-6), pages 548-563, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:indrel:v:50:y:2019:i:5-6:p:548-563
    DOI: 10.1111/irj.12273
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John T. Addison & Pedro Portugal & Hugo Vilares, 2017. "Unions and Collective Bargaining in the Wake of the Great Recession: Evidence from Portugal," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 55(3), pages 551-576, September.
    2. Denise Currie & Paul Teague, 2017. "The eurozone crisis, German hegemony and labour market reform in the GIPS countries," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(2), pages 154-173, March.
    3. Jelle Visser, 2016. "What happened to collective bargaining during the great recession?," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-35, December.
    4. Thelen,Kathleen, 2014. "Varieties of Liberalization and the New Politics of Social Solidarity," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107679566, October.
    5. repec:ilo:ilowps:483775 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Thelen,Kathleen, 2014. "Varieties of Liberalization and the New Politics of Social Solidarity," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107053168, October.
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