Regional Wage Differentials and Collective Bargaining in Italy

Abstract

Questo lavoro utilizza i dati provenienti dall’indagine ESES (European Structure of Earnings Survey) per il 1995 con l’obiettivo di studiare l’impatto del sistema di contrattazione sui differenziali salariali territoriali e sulla dispersione delle retribuzioni a livello locale. L’indagine ESES e un ampio data-set contenente informazioni relative a caratteristiche sia dei lavoratori che delle imprese. I risultati ottenuti indicano che nel Mezzogiorno, in alcuni casi, il salario stabilito centralmente dalla contrattazione costringe un certo numero di imprese a riconoscere salari piu elevati di quelli che sarebbero pagati in sua assenza. Inoltre, la dispersione salariale dei lavoratori del Sud coperti dal contratto nazionale risulta piu compressa di quella dei lavoratori che non sono coperti da alcun contratto collettivo. Anche questa evidenza empirica sembra suggerire che la contrattazione collettiva crei in questa area un “pavimento” nella distribuzione delle retribuzioni. Abstract: This paper uses ESES (European Structure of Earnings Survey) data for 1995 in order to investigate the impact of the Italian bargaining system on regional wage differentials and on local wage dispersion. The ESES survey is a large matched employer-employee data-set containing a wealth of information regarding characteristics of both workers and firms. The main findings suggest that in the south of Italy, in specific conditions, the minimum wages established by national sectoral collective agreements oblige some firms to pay higher wages than they would have done had there been no national agreement. In addition, wage dispersion in the south is more compressed for workers covered than for workers not covered by a national collective agreement. These results can be interpreted as indirect evidence for the fact that national collective bargaining creates regional ‘wage floors’. This paper uses ESES (European Structure of Earnings Survey) data for 1995 in order to investigate the impact of the Italian bargaining system on regional wage differentials and on local wage dispersion. The ESES survey is a large matched employer-employee data-set containing a wealth of information regarding characteristics of both workers and firms. The main findings suggest that in the south of Italy, in specific conditions, the minimum wages established by national sectoral collective agreements oblige some firms to pay higher wages than they would have done had there been no national agreement. In addition, wage dispersion in the south is more compressed for workers covered than for workers not covered by a national collective agreement. These results can be interpreted as indirect evidence for the fact that national collective bargaining creates regional ‘wage floors’. Jel code: J31, J51.