Observing Labour Market Adjustment

Author : Michael Contarino
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (137 download)

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Download or read book Concertational and Free-Market Paths to Successful Territorial Economic Adjustment written by Michael Contarino and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Et alet al.This paper examines successful processes of industrial adjustment in several textile clothing footwear centres of northern and central Italy. The paper observes that both strong-labour micro-concertational' and weak-labour free-market' models of successful adjustment exist, and that they prevail, respectively, in different geographical areas. The paper argues that successful micro-concertational adjustment is most likely where unions are strong, united and encompassing, and that successful free-market adjustment is most likely where unions are weak, divided and non-encompassing. This observation parallels the insights of Alvarez (1991) on successful national-level macroeconomic performance, and suggests that the political-economic logic observed by Alvarez . at the national level obtains also at the local level. The paper observes further that the existence of both models suggests that successful adjustment may be linked to capacity of either micro-concertation or union weakness to remove impediments to labour market flexibility. micro-concertationA growing body of recent research suggests that successful industrial adjustment at the local level today reflects the capacities of unions and management to identify problems and pursue solutions co-operatively through processes of which enlist the work-force substantially in the adjustment process at the firm level. The presence of such capacities to engage in micro-concertation has in turn been linked by some studies to a variety of local-level political and social realities which facilitate worker skill formation (including the ability to identify and solve problems), while encouraging communication and the development of trust between workers and management. Strong unions able to legitimize managerial decisions and to enlist the acquiescence and support of the work-force are seen as key to the success of such micro-concertational systems. This recent research on micro-concertation would seem to conflict with the liberal conservative view that successful industrial adjustment occurs not when unions are strong, but when they are too weak to impede managerial choices. micro-concertation This paper examines successful processes of industrial adjustment in several textile clothing footwear centres of northern and central Italy. The paper observes that both strong-labour micro-concertational' and weak-labour free-market' models of successful adjustment exist, and that they prevail, respectively, in different geographical areas. The paper argues that successful micro-concertational adjustment is most likely where unions are strong, united and encompassing, and that successful free-market adjustment is most likely where unions are weak, divided and non-encompassing. This observation parallels the insights of Alvarez (1991) on successful national-level macroeconomic performance, and suggests that the political-economic logic observed by Alvarez . at the national level obtains also at the local level. The paper observes further that the existence of both models suggests that successful adjustment may be linked to capacity of either micro-concertation or union weakness to remove impediments to labour market flexibility. et al. et al.