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Estimating workers bargaining power and firms markup in India: Implications of reforms and labour regulations

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  • Rupayan Pal

    (Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research)

  • Udayan Rathore

    (Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research)

Abstract

We examine implications of industrial deregulations, trade liberalisation and labour regulations on workers' bargaining power and firms' markup in Indian manufacturing industries, using state-wise three-digit industry-level panel data for the period 1980-2007. Results of our econometric analysis suggest that both industrial deregulations and trade liberalisation led to significant declines in workers bargaining power, which was already less than 6.7 on an average during pre-reform era. However, none of these reforms appears to have any significant effect on firms' markup. Our results also suggest that amendments to labour regulation by State governments, which aim to simplify procedures and reduce costs of industrial dispute resolutions, have a significant positive effect on workers' bargaining power. Surprisingly, amendments to Employment Protection Legislations do not appear to have any significant effect on workers' bargaining power. We also document considerable variation in firms' markup and workers' bargaining power across industry-groups and States.

Suggested Citation

  • Rupayan Pal & Udayan Rathore, 2014. "Estimating workers bargaining power and firms markup in India: Implications of reforms and labour regulations," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2014-037, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    • Handle: RePEc:ind:igiwpp:2014-037
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    2. Ashish Kumar Sedai, 2019. "Wages in Imperfect Markets: A Post-reforms Study of Indian Manufacturing," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 14(3), pages 257-280, December.
    3. Weilin Liu, 2022. "Did Trade Liberalization Boost Total Factor Productivity Growth in Manufacturing in India in the 1990s?," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 43, pages 110-139, Fall.
    4. Nandi, Aurodeep, 2019. "Fiscal deficit targeting alongside flexible inflation targeting: India’s fiscal policy transmission," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 1-18.
    5. Kopel, Michael & Petrakis, Emmanuel & Ressi, Anna, 2019. "Endogenous scope of firm-union bargaining with vertical pay comparisons," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 39-52.
    6. Stankov, Petar & Vasilev, Aleksandar, 2019. "Business reform outcomes: Why so different?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 41(6), pages 1109-1127.
    7. Diti Goswami & Sourabh Bikas Paul, 2020. "Labor Reforms in Rajasthan: A boon or a bane?," Papers 2012.01016, arXiv.org.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Workers bargaining power; firms markup; industrial deregulations; trade liberalisation; labour regulations; India;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J50 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - General
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology

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