Daniel Vaughan-Whitehead

This is the first book to provide a comprehensive and systematic assessment of the impact of the crisis and austerity policies on all elements of the European Social Model. This book assesses the situation in each individual EU member state on the basi

Is Europe Losing Its Soul?

The European Social Model in Crisis

Guy Standing

Since the late 1980s, incomes have fallen sharply in most countries of Central and Eastern Europe, while unemployment and poverty rates have risen dramatically. In most countries during that period, the statutory minimum wage has been supposed to be an anchor of the social protection system and the wage structure, protecting the low-paid and those dependent on state benefits. Unfortunately for those affected, the level of the minimum wage has been allowed to drop to well below the "poverty level" and has ceased to protect anyone. This book considers the evidence and the implications of this development, and recommends a series of reforms.

From Protection to Destitution

Minimum Wages in Central and Eastern Europe

International debate has recently focused on increased inequalities and the adverse effects they may have on both social and economic developments. Income inequality, now at its highest level for the past half-century, may not only undermine the sustainability of European social policy but also put at risk Europe’s sustainable recovery. A common feature of recent reports on inequality (ILO, OECD, IMF, 2015–17) is their recognition that the causes emerge from mechanisms in the world of work. The purpose of this book is to investigate the possible role of industrial relations, and labour policies more generally, in reducing these inequalities.

How Industrial Relations and Labour Policies Can Close the Gap

Reducing Inequalities in Europe

While recent studies have highlighted the phenomenon and risks of increased inequalities between the top and the bottom of society, little research has so far been carried out on trends relating to the median income range that generally represents the middle class. This volume examines the following questions: what are the main transformations in the world of work over the last 20 years in terms of the labour market, social dialogue, and conditions of work, wages and incomes that may have affected the middle class? How has the middle class been altered by the financial and economic crisis? What are the long-term trends for the middle class in Europe?

Evidence from the World of Work

Europe's Disappearing Middle Class?

ÔThis is a fascinating, rich and comprehensive analytical account of the causes and consequences of austerity measures affecting the public sector in terms of pay and employment. The editors have assembled a broad array of contributions that really reflect the diversity within Europe, both in terms of how deep the financial crisis hit, and the drivers of public sector reforms. An absorbing and thought-provoking read.Õ Ð Jacqueline OÕReilly, University of Brighton, UK After a first series of policy responses to the 2008Ð09 crisis aimed at sustaining domestic demand through expansionary anti-crisis packages, most European governments Ð starting with Greece, Ireland, Bulgaria and Romania, and followed by many others Ð have since put in place a series of restrictive budgetary policies aimed at reducing their budget deficits. With these new policies, a significant number of jobs and wages have been cut in the public sector. A number of expenditure items related to education and training have also been cut. These reforms have given rise to waves of protest throughout Europe. The goal of this volume is to study this Ôpublic sector shockÕ. While budgetary reforms seek to ensure a more balanced and sound economic policy, they may generate new work inequalities among public sector employees, most particularly among women, who account for a considerable proportion of public sector employment. Cuts in education and training may also have an impact on the quality of human capital in both the public and private sectors, despite the fact that the recent crisis has shown the value of education as employees with better skills and training are more likely to maintain their jobs and incomes. The authors explore a number of questions, including: what types of reform have been implemented in the public sector and what are their implications in both the short and long term? On the economic side, what will be the impact on wages, and on job quantity and quality? On the social side, what will the effects be on inequality and social cohesion? And what will be the outcome for, and potential role of, social partners and social dialogue? On the basis of a comparative and comprehensive assessment, illustrated by case studies in education, health and public administration, policy issues are discussed with the aim of finding the right mix of public sector reforms.

The Impact of Policy Retrenchment in Europe

Public Sector Shock

Youcef Ghellab

Rafael M. de Bustillo Llorente

Actors in the world of work are facing an increasing number of challenges, including automatization and digitalization, new types of jobs and more diverse forms of employment. This timely book examines employer and worker responses, challenges and opportunities for social dialogue, and the role of social partners in the governance of the world of work. Through interviews and surveys, the volume provides direct evidence on three central questions: how can we cultivate autonomous, bipartite social dialogue in order to meet these critical challenges? How can the social partners strengthen their representativeness and membership, and extend their influence? What role can social partners and social dialogue play regarding digitalization, and what best practices can be identified? The volume also addresses significant trends such as demographic changes, migration flows, global supply chain management and environmental objectives. It covers the current EU member states while extending analysis to EU candidate and potential candidate countries, thus enlarging coverage to 34 European nations. The detailed evidence by theme and by individual country will provide a unique source of ideas on social actors' innovative roles in ensuring sustainable and inclusive practices in the future world of work. This will be an invigorating read for labour economics and labour policy scholars looking for a better understanding of the new world of work. Labour organizations, employers, trade unions and representatives of national and supranational institutions will also benefit from the detailed case studies in the volume.

Challenges and Opportunities for Social Partners and Labour Institutions

The New World of Work

This book aims to answer a number of important questions. To what extent have European countries converged or diverged with EU-wide economic and social indicators over the past 20 years? What have been the drivers of convergence? Why do some countries lag behind, while others experience continuous upward convergence? Why are these trajectories not always linear? Particular attention is paid to the role of institutions, actors and industrial relations – focusing on the resources and strategies of governments, employers and trade unions – in nudging EU countries onto an upward convergence path.

Institutions, Labour and Industrial Relations

Towards Convergence in Europe

Ted Piccone

Abraham F. Lowenthal

In early 2009, at the start of a new administration in Washington, the Brookings Institution Press published The Obama Administration and the Americas: Agenda for Change, offering a roadmap for a fresh approach to U.S. relations with its neighbors. Now, at the midway point of that presidential administration, the editors of that insightful volume follow up with Shifting the Balance: Obama and the Americas, an authoritative and critical look at what President Obama and his team have done in regard to Latin America and the Caribbean, how they have been received in the region, and what steps should be taken in the future.

Daniel Vaughan-Whitehead

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