Institutional and labour relations regimes promoting decent working conditions for Local and Regional Government (LRG) workers in Croatia, Germany, Greece, Spain, and Sweden

This publication presents a comparative analysis of the Local and Regional Government (LRG) sector workforce in five European countries: Croatia, Germany, Greece, Spain, and Sweden. Despite variations in governance models and industrial relations, commonalities emerge, such as the LRG sector's significance in the national public sector, a predominant female workforce, and strong organization within social dialogue and collective bargaining systems. Governance structures influence LRG workforce size, with Croatia and Greece displaying highly centralized administrations, while Spain, Sweden, and Germany showcase stronger LRG-level administrations. Notably, LRG workers constitute a substantial portion of public sector employment across all five countries. The gender pay gap is lower in the public sector than the private sector, declining over time. Diverging historical trends in LRG sector size are observed, with increases in Germany, Spain, and Sweden, while Greece experienced a decline linked to austerity measures. The study highlights variations in labour regimes. Training rights for LRG workers lack legal provisions in all countries except Spain, where it is included in collective bargaining. LRG workers benefit from a strong right to association, union representation, social dialogue traditions, and extensive collective bargaining coverage. Trade union presence is higher in the LRG sector compared to the private sector. Legal rights to strike exist for LRG workers in all countries except for German civil servants in the sector. While the ratification of the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention (No.190) is limited, all five countries have enacted national and EU legislation against workplace discrimination and harassment.