Distribution and Collective Bargaining

Abstract

This chapter looks at the key areas of distribution and collective bargaining, and the scope for the development of ‘normal’ labour relations and independent collective bargaining between employers and trade unions. The aim of this chapter is to explain the structures and mechanisms shaping distribution and the nature of agreements under the socialist system. It also discusses the mechanisms for the implementation of wage policies and the development of collective agreements since the collapse of the Soviet system. The transference of collective bargaining models took place in the context of economic crisis and the macroeconomic stabilization policies promoted by the IFI. These conditions had major implications for policies on income distribution and wages and for the functioning of tripartite and collective bargaining institutions. These developments are discussed in the next four sections of the chapter: the pattern of distribution and agreements under central planning; the transformation of distribution mechanisms at national level; the regulation of terms and conditions at lower levels; and the exploration of a number of the country cases in greater detail to investigate the similarities and differences in the patterns of development. A final section summarizes trends and issues in collective bargaining.