Collective bargaining through the magnifying glass: A comparison between the Netherlands and Portugal

Martins also thanks support from the European Union (grant VS/2016/0340) ; This paper contributes to a deeper understanding of sector-level bargaining systems and their role for labour market performance. We compare two countries with seemingly similar collective bargaining systems, the Netherlands and Portugal, and document a number of features that may affect labour market outcomes, including: i) the scope for flexibility at the firm or worker level within sector-level agreements; ii) the emphasis on representativeness as a criterion for extensions; iii) the effectiveness of coordination acr... Mehr ...