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The Crisis and Precarious Work Irish Economic Policy Conference 2014

The Crisis and Precarious Work Irish Economic Policy Conference 2014. Dr. Thomas Turner & Dr. Michelle O’Sullivan, University of Limerick. Outline. Focus on Challenges for unions following crisis public & private sectors immigration

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The Crisis and Precarious Work Irish Economic Policy Conference 2014

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  1. The Crisis and Precarious WorkIrish Economic Policy Conference 2014 Dr. Thomas Turner & Dr. Michelle O’Sullivan, University of Limerick

  2. Outline • Focus on • Challenges for unions following crisis • public & private sectors • immigration • Challenge for dispute resolution system following crisis

  3. Union density 1925-2013

  4. Public and private sector union density

  5. Trends in working conditions

  6. Employee experiences

  7. Crisis & Unions in Public Sector • Union presence still strong but likely difficulty in maintaining density levels • Pay cuts & deteriorating conditions • Voluntary redundancies amongst older age groups • Lack of solidarity & consensus amongst unions

  8. Challenges in Private sector • Difficulty in accessing & protecting workers • Changing profile of union members (about 20% are unionised) • Fragility of wage setting for precarious workers • Tensions regarding migrant workers

  9. Low pay 2/3 medium earnings=€10.86

  10. Wage setting mechanisms • Threats to JLCs & REAs • Importance of State support – Labour Party • Costs – loss of protection, more bureaucratic system • Benefits – some JLCs moved to REA system

  11. Hourly Earnings By Nationality & Unionisation – Private Sector

  12. Attitudes to allowing immigrants access in EU countries

  13. Proportion agreeing with allowing in many or no immigrants from the same or different ethnic race

  14. Crisis & Dispute Resolution • Crisis led to significant increases in referrals to state bodies • Such increases a symptom of industrial relations & legal systems

  15. Referrals to State bodies

  16. Sub-systems Non-unionised sub-system Unionised sub-system Disorganised; Reliance on law Regulated; Restrictions to collectivising

  17. Contrast: The Swedish Employment Rights System • Collectivist orientation –no state agencies except LC • Cases referred to the Labour Court: averaging 400 to 450 • Union involvement in the dispute resolution process is mandated through legislation • Disputes handled directly between union and employer • Minimum intervention of the law or third parties • In many instances, the ‘priority right of interpretation’ is assigned to the ‘established union’

  18. Conclusion • Crisis & work • Worsening conditions in public sector and private sector • Employees in precarious jobs further weakened by crisis • Immigration • Significant increase in negative attitudes between 2006 and 2010 • the decline in positive attitudes to immigrants highest in Greece and Ireland • Dispute resolution • Crisis accelerated trends in referrals to state bodies • Underlying cause: separation of collective and individual disputes in law; weak role afforded to unions in dispute resolution

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