The impact of the European Semester on collective bargaining and wages over the recent years. WP CSDLE “Massimo D’Antona”.INT – 138/2017

Bongelli, Kristian (2017) The impact of the European Semester on collective bargaining and wages over the recent years. WP CSDLE “Massimo D’Antona”.INT – 138/2017. [Working Paper]

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Abstract

The question asked in the opening of the paragraph below – does the EU have competence on collective bargaining and wages? – is of fundamental importance for the trade union movement. The answer is more complex than how apparently may look and is the basis on which the European Trade Union Confederation (referred to below as ETUC) has developed its strategies to cope with the economic governance over the last few years. However, in order to fully understand the positions of the trade unions, it is necessary to go through a short recollection of what the semester is and how it works. Such recollection is contained in the second paragraph. This will allow the reader to frame the reaction of the ETUC and to get a proper reading of the two phases of its new approach. The strategy that is being implemented to counteract and (re-)balance the policies imposed via the semester and make the latter more social-oriented is addressed in the third paragraph of this chapter. The forth one will analyse the policies implemented over the recent years via the impact of the semester as well as the improvements and results reached by trade unions within this framework of action. Looking firstly at the picture of the whole EU, then closer at the five target countries of the “DECOBA” project (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain). The final paragraph will draw the conclusions by shedding light on the paradox of the Commission’s narrative, especially regarding collective bargaining and wages..

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