Social Pacts: a Western Recipe for Central and Eastern Europe?
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Abstract
The paper examines the issue of relevancy of social pacts in the shape that has developed in the Western Europe to a specific environment of Central and Eastern Europe. Firstly, experiences of western European countries with social pacting are summarised ('the western recipe'), with a particular emphasis put on significant similarities observable between the western European countries that managed to sign social pacts. Secondly, attempts undertaken in Central and Eastern Europe in tripartite negotiations aiming at concluding social pacts are reviewed. Finally, an arguably main difference between old and new member states in the context of social dialogue is discussed, that is multiemployer collective bargaining, which while retaining relatively strong position in the west, plays marginal role in the east.
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How to Cite
Meardi, G. (2011). Social Pacts: a Western Recipe for Central and Eastern Europe?. Warsaw Forum of Economic Sociology, 2(3), 73–87. Retrieved from https://econjournals.sgh.waw.pl/wfes/article/view/446
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References
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Bohle, D., Greskovits, B., 2010, Slovakia and Hungary: Successful and Failed Euro Entry without Social Pacts, in: After the Euro and the Enlargement: Social Pacts in the European Union, Pochet P., Keune, M., Natali, D., eds., Brussels: European Trade Union Institute: 345-370.
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Doneghay, J., Teague, P., 2005, The Persistence of Social Pacts in Europe, "Industrial Relations Journal" 36 (6): 478-493.
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McMenamin, I., 2002, Polish Business Associations: Flattened Civil Society or Super Lobbies? "Business and Politics", 4 (3): 301-318.
Meardi, G., 2006, Social Pacts on the Road to EMU: A Comparison of the Italian and Polish Experiences, "Economic and Industrial Democracy" 27 (2): 197-222.
Offe, C., Wiesenthal, H., 1985, Two Logics of Collective Action, in: C. Offe (ed.) Disorganized Capitalism. Cambridge, MA: Polity: 170-220.
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Pochet, P., Keune, M., Natali, D., eds., 2010, After the Euro and the Enlargement: Social Pacts in the European Union, Brussels: European Trade Union Institute.
Schneider, F., Buehn A., 2007, Shadow Economies and Corruption All Over the World: Revised Estimates for 120 Countries, "Economics: The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal", 1.
Stanojević, M., 2010, Social Pacts in Slovenia, in: P. Pochet, M. Keune, D. Natali, eds., Social Pacts in the European Union, Brussels: European Trade Union Institute: 317-344.
Streeck, W., 1997, Beneficial Constraints : On the Economic Limits of Rational Voluntarism, in: R., Hollingsworth, R. Boyer, eds., Contemporary Capitalism : The Embeddedness of Institutions, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press: 197-219.
Tóth, A., Neumann, L., 2004, National-level Tripartism and EMU in the New EUMember States and Candidate Countries, Dublin, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.
Tóth, A., Neumann, L., 2006, Three-year Central Agreement Reached on Minimum Wage Rises and Pay Policy Guidelines., http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2005/12/feature/hu0512104f.htm).
Traxler, F., 2010, Corporatism(s) and Pacts: Changing Functions and Structures under Rising Economic Liberalism and Declining Liberal Democracy, in: Pochet, P., Keune, M., Natali, D., ed., After the Euro and Enlargement: Social Pacts in the European Union, 45-82, Brussels: European Trade Union Institute.
Traxler, F., Blaschke, S., Kittel, B., 2001, National Labour Relations in Internationalized Markets. A Comparative Study of Institutions, Change, and Performance, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Williams, C., 2009, Illegitimate Wage Practices in Central and Eastern Europe: A Study of the Prevalence and Impacts of 'Envelope Wages', "Debatte: Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe" 17 (1): 65-83.
Woolfson, C., 2007, Pushing the Envelope: The 'Informalization' of Labour in Postcommunist New EU Member States, "Work, Employment and Society" 21 (3): 551-64.
Woolfson, C., Calite, Dace, Kallaste, E., 2008, Employee Voice and Working Environment in Post-communist New Member States: An Empirical Analysis of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, "Industrial Relations Journal", 39 (4): 314-334.
Avdagic, S., 2010, When Are Concerted Reforms Feasible? Explaining the Emergence of Social Pacts in Western Europe, "Comparative Political Studies", 43 (5): 628-657.
Behrens, M., 2004, New Forms of Employers' Collective Interest Representation, "Industrielle Beziehungen", 11: 77-91.
Bohle, D., 2010, Countries in Distress: Transformation, Transnationalization, and Crisis in Hungary and Latvia, "Emecon: Employment and Economy in Central and Eastern Europe", 1.
Bohle, D., Greskovits, B., 2007, Neoliberalism, Embedded Neoliberalism and Neocorporatism: Towards Transnational Capitalism in Central-Eastern Europe, "West European Politics", 30 (3): 443-466.
Bohle, D., Greskovits, B., 2010, Slovakia and Hungary: Successful and Failed Euro Entry without Social Pacts, in: After the Euro and the Enlargement: Social Pacts in the European Union, Pochet P., Keune, M., Natali, D., eds., Brussels: European Trade Union Institute: 345-370.
Bluhm, K., 2006, Auflösung des Liberalisierungsdilemmas-Arbeitsbeziehungen Mittelosteuropas im Kontext des EU-Beitritts, "Berliner Journal für Soziologie", 16 (2): 171-186.
Calmfors, L., Driffi ll, J., 1988, Bargaining Structure, Corporatism, and Macroeconomic Performance, "Economic Policy", 6: 14-47.
Doneghay, J., Teague, P., 2005, The Persistence of Social Pacts in Europe, "Industrial Relations Journal" 36 (6): 478-493.
Erne, R., 2008, European Unions. Cornell: ILR Press.
Gardawski, J., 2009, Ewolucja polskich związków zawodowych, in: J. Gardawski (ed.), Polacy pracujący a kryzys fordyzmu, Warszawa: Scholar: 459-532.
Ghellab, Y., Vaughan-Whitehead, D., eds., 2003, Sectoral Social Dialogue in Future EU Member States: The Weakest Link, Geneva: ILO.
Gonser, M., 2010, Hor Hard a Blow for the Collective Representation of Labour Interests? The Baltic Industrial Relations and the Financial Crisis, "Emecon: Employment and Economy in Central and Eastern Europe": 1.
Habermas, J., 1973, Legitimationprobleme im Spätkapitalismus, Frankfurt: Suhrkamp.
Hamann, K., Kelly, J., 2011, Parties, Elections, and Policy Reforms in Western Europe: Voting for Social Pacts, London: Routledge.
Hassel, A., 2009, Policies and Politics in Social Pacts in Europe, "European Journal of Industrial Relations", 15, 1: 7-26.
Kozek, W., 1999, Społeczne organizacje biznesu i jego związki w Polsce, in: W. Kozek (ed.) Społeczne organizacje biznesu w Polsce a stosunki pracy, Warszawa: Wyd. B-P: 13-102.
Mansfeldová, Z., 2007, Trade Union and Employers Associations on the Way to Multi-level Social Dialogue-Comparison between Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia, EUSA Conference, Montreal.
McMenamin, I., 2002, Polish Business Associations: Flattened Civil Society or Super Lobbies? "Business and Politics", 4 (3): 301-318.
Meardi, G., 2006, Social Pacts on the Road to EMU: A Comparison of the Italian and Polish Experiences, "Economic and Industrial Democracy" 27 (2): 197-222.
Offe, C., Wiesenthal, H., 1985, Two Logics of Collective Action, in: C. Offe (ed.) Disorganized Capitalism. Cambridge, MA: Polity: 170-220.
Ost, D., 2000, Illusory corporatism: Tripartism in the service of neoliberalism, "Politics and Society", 28 (4): 503-530.
Ost, D., 2005, The Defeat of Solidarity. Anger and Politics in Postcommunist Europe, Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Parlevliet, J., Xenogiani, T., 2008, Report on Informal Employment in Romania, Paris: OECD Development Centre, (Working Paper / OECD Development Centre) 271.
PIP, 2008, Sprawozdanie Głównego Inspektora Pracy z działalności Państwowej Inspekcji Pracy w 2007 roku. Warszawa: Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy.
Pochet, P., Keune, M., Natali, D., eds., 2010, After the Euro and the Enlargement: Social Pacts in the European Union, Brussels: European Trade Union Institute.
Schneider, F., Buehn A., 2007, Shadow Economies and Corruption All Over the World: Revised Estimates for 120 Countries, "Economics: The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal", 1.
Stanojević, M., 2010, Social Pacts in Slovenia, in: P. Pochet, M. Keune, D. Natali, eds., Social Pacts in the European Union, Brussels: European Trade Union Institute: 317-344.
Streeck, W., 1997, Beneficial Constraints : On the Economic Limits of Rational Voluntarism, in: R., Hollingsworth, R. Boyer, eds., Contemporary Capitalism : The Embeddedness of Institutions, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press: 197-219.
Tóth, A., Neumann, L., 2004, National-level Tripartism and EMU in the New EUMember States and Candidate Countries, Dublin, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.
Tóth, A., Neumann, L., 2006, Three-year Central Agreement Reached on Minimum Wage Rises and Pay Policy Guidelines., http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2005/12/feature/hu0512104f.htm).
Traxler, F., 2010, Corporatism(s) and Pacts: Changing Functions and Structures under Rising Economic Liberalism and Declining Liberal Democracy, in: Pochet, P., Keune, M., Natali, D., ed., After the Euro and Enlargement: Social Pacts in the European Union, 45-82, Brussels: European Trade Union Institute.
Traxler, F., Blaschke, S., Kittel, B., 2001, National Labour Relations in Internationalized Markets. A Comparative Study of Institutions, Change, and Performance, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Williams, C., 2009, Illegitimate Wage Practices in Central and Eastern Europe: A Study of the Prevalence and Impacts of 'Envelope Wages', "Debatte: Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe" 17 (1): 65-83.
Woolfson, C., 2007, Pushing the Envelope: The 'Informalization' of Labour in Postcommunist New EU Member States, "Work, Employment and Society" 21 (3): 551-64.
Woolfson, C., Calite, Dace, Kallaste, E., 2008, Employee Voice and Working Environment in Post-communist New Member States: An Empirical Analysis of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, "Industrial Relations Journal", 39 (4): 314-334.