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Union free-riding in Britain and New Zealand

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  • Bryson, Alex

Abstract

The percentage of workers who choose not to join the union available to them at their workplace has been rising in Britain and New Zealand. Social custom, union instrumentality, the fixed costs of joining, employee perceptions of management attitudes to unionization and employee problems at work all influence the propensity to free-ride. Ideological convictions regarding the role of unions also play some role, as do private excludable goods. There is little indication of employer-inspired policies substituting for unionization where unions are already present. Having accounted for all these factors, free-riding remains more common in New Zealand than in Britain.

Suggested Citation

  • Bryson, Alex, 2006. "Union free-riding in Britain and New Zealand," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 19873, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:19873
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. David G. Blanchflower, 2007. "International Patterns of Union Membership," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(1), pages 1-28, March.
    2. Haile, Getinet Astatike, 2012. "Union Decline in Britain: Is Chauvinism Also to Blame?," IZA Discussion Papers 6536, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Blanchflower, David G., 2006. "A Cross-Country Study of Union Membership," IZA Discussion Papers 2016, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Peter Haynes & Peter Holland & Amanda Pyman & Julian Teicher, 2008. "Free-Riding in Australia," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 29(1), pages 7-34, February.
    5. C Green & J S Heywood, 2010. "Unions, Dissatisfied Workers and Sorting," Working Papers 615292, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Free-riding; trade union; New Zealand; Britain;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J50 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - General

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