EUROPEAN MASTER IN LABOUR STUDIES
Academic year 2005-2006
Comparative Industrial Relations
(instructors: Lorenzo Bordogna and Marino Regini)
All classes are held from 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm (if not otherwise specified)
COURSE OUTLINE
1. One subject, many disciplines. An introductory scheme: actors, context, methods, rules
(LB – Monday, February 13)
Required reading:
 Clegg H. (1976), Trade Unionism under Collective Bargaining, Oxford: Basil Blackwell,
ch. 1, pp. 1-5
 Kochan Th. (1993), “Teaching and Building Middle Range Industrial Relations Theory”, in
Adams R., Meltz N. (eds), Industrial Relations Theory. Its Nature, Scope and Pedagogy,
Metuchen, N.J. and London: IMLR Press/Rutgers University and The Scarecrow Press, pp.
353-380, especially pp. 353-365
Recommended readings:
 Fox A. (1973), “Industrial Relations: a Social Critique of Pluralist Ideology”, in Child J.
(ed), Man and Organization, London: Allen and Unwin
 C. Crouch (1993), Industrial Relations and European State Traditions, Oxford: Clarendon
Press, Part II
 Hyman R. (1994), “Theory and Industrial Relations”, in British Journal of Industrial
Relations, 2, June, pp. 165-180
2. Trade unions and employers’ associations: problems of representation and organizational
dilemmas
(MR – Monday, February 20)
Required reading:
 Hirschmann, A. (1970) Exit, Voice, and Loyalty, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
(selected pages)
Recommended readings:
 Rogers J. and Streeck W. (eds, 1995) Works Councils. Consultation, Representation, and
Cooperation in Industrial Relations, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press (chapter 1)
 Pizzorno A. (1981) “Interests and Parties in Pluralism”, in S. Berger (ed.) Organizing
Interests in Western Europe, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 246-284
3. The actors of labour relations at workplace level: employees’ representation models in
Europe
(LB – Friday, February 24)
Required reading:
 J. Rogers and W. Streeck (eds) (1995), Works Councils. Consultation, Representation, and
Cooperation in Industrial Relations, 1995, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press
(chapter 11)
4. Bilateral relations: between conflict and cooperation
(MR – Monday, February 27)
Required reading:
 Marsden, D. (1995) “Deregulation or Co-operation? The Future of Europe’s Labour
Markets”, Labour, special issue
Recommended readings:
 Ferner, A. and Hyman, R. (eds., 1998) Changing Industrial Relations in Europe, Oxford:
Blackwell (Introduction)
 European Commission (2004) Industrial Relations in Europe 2004, Luxembourg: Office for
Official Publications of the European Communities
 Traxler, F., Blaschke, S. and Kittel, B. (2001) National Labor Relations in Internationalized
Markets: A Comparative Study of Institutions, Change, and Performance. Oxford: Oxford
University Press
5. Collective bargaining: bargaining structure and bargaining models in Europe. The Italian
system after the July 1993 tripartite agreement
(LB – Wednesday, March 1)
Required reading:
 Clegg H. (1976), Trade Unionism under Collective Bargaining, Oxford: Basil Blackwell,
ch. 1, pp. 5-11
 Schulten Th. (2005), Changes in national collective bargaining systems since 1990, EIRO,
Comparative Studies, May
Recommended readings:
 Traxler F. (2003), “Bargaining (De)centralization, Macroeconomic Performance and
Control over the Employment Relationship”, in British Journal of Industrial Relations, 1,
March, pp. 1-27
 Traxler F., Behrens M. (2002), Collective bargaining coverage and extension procedures,
EIRO, Comparative Studies, December
 Calmfors L., Driffill J., “Bargaining structure, corporatism and economic performance”, in
Economic Policy, April, pp. 14-47
 Kochan Th., (1980), Collective Bargaining and Industrial Relations, Homewood: Irwin, ch. 2
(“An analytical framework for collective bargaining”)
 Tripartite Agreement on Income and Employment Policy, Italy, July 1993 (sections 1 and 2)
(for a partial presentation: www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/1997/09/feature/it9709212f.html)
6. Tripartite relations: political exchange and concertation
(MR – Monday, March 6)
Required reading:
 Regini, M. (1997) “Still engaging in corporatism? Recent Italian experience in comparative
perspective”, European Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 3 no. 3
Recommended readings:
 Schmitter, P. Groete, J. (1997) The Corporatist Sisyphus: Past, Present and Future,
Florence: European University Institute Working Papers, no. 97/4)
 Baccaro, L. (2003) “What is Alive and What is Dead in the Theory of Corporatism?” British
Journal of Industrial Relations, 41(4)
7. Concertation in the 1970s, social pacts in the 1990s
(LB – Wednesday, March 8)
Required reading:

Regini, M. (2003), “Tripartite concertation and varieties of capitalism”, European Journal of
Industrial Relations, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 251-263
 Streeck W. (1999), “Competitive Solidarity: Rethinking the ‘European Social Model”’,
Presidential Address, 11th Annual Meeting of SASE, Madison, June
Recommended readings:
 Hassel A. (2003), “The Politics of Social Pacts”, in British Journal of Industrial Relations, 4,
December, pp. 707-726
 Fajertag J., Pochet Ph. (eds) (2000), Social Pacts in Europe. New Dynamics, Brussels: Etui, ch.
1, pp. 9-40
 Streeck W. (1998), “The Internationalization of Industrial Relations in Europe: Prospects and
Problems”, in Politics and Society, 4, pp. 429-459
 Bordogna L. (1996), “Wage bargaining and industrial relations under the single European
currency”, in Transfer, 2, pp. 298-315
 Traxler F. (1995), “Farewell to labour market associations?” In Crouch C., Traxler F. (eds),
Organized Industrial relations in Europe: What Future?, Aldershot: Avebury, pp. 3-19
8. Employment relations and collective bargaining at company level in the 1990s
(LB – Tuesday, March 14, 17:30–19:30)
Required reading:
 K. Sisson and A. M. Artiles (2000), Handling restructuring. A study of collective agreements
on employment and competitiveness, Luxemburg: Office for the Official Publications of the
European Communities
Recommended readings:
 Guest G., Conway N. (1999), “Peering into the Black Hole: The downside of New
Employment Relations in the UK”, in British Journal of Industrial Relations, 3, pp. 367-389
9. Employees involvement at company level: direct participation and participation through
collective representation
(LB – Wednesday, March 15, 17:30–19:30)
Required reading:
 Regalia (1996), “How the Social Partners View Direct Participation: A Comparative Study of
15 European Countries”, European Journal of Industrial Relations, 1996, vol. 2, No 2
Recommended readings:
 EIRO (2004), Developments in European Works Councils, Comparative Studies, November
 EIRO (2001), The Involvement of employees and collective bargaining in company
restructuring, Comparative Studies, July
10. European integration and national models of labour relations: convergence or divergence?
(LB – Monday, March 20)
Required reading:
 Visser J. (2004), “Patterns and variations in European industrial relations”, European
Commission, Industrial Relations in Europe 2004, Luxembourg: Office for Official
Publications of the European Communities, ch. 1
Recommended readings:
 Katz H., Lee W., Lee J. (eds) (2004), The New Structure of Labor Relations. Tripartism and
Decentralization, Ithaca: ILR Press (especially “Introduction” and “Summary”)
 Bordogna L.,Cella G.P. (1999), “Admission, exclusion, correction: the changing role of the
state in industrial relations”, in Transfer, 1-2, pp. 14-33.

Ferner, R. Hyman (eds.) (1998), Changing Industrial Relations in Europe, Oxford: Blackwell,
“Introduction” (pp. XI-XXI)
11. Which future for labour relations and collective bargaining as methods of regulation of
the employment relationship?
(MR – Wednesday, March 22)
Required reading:
 Regini, M. (2003) “Work and labour in global economies: the case of Western Europe”,
Socio-Economic Review, no. 2
Recommended readings:
 Traxler, F. (2003) “Coordinated Bargaining: a Stocktaking of its Preconditions, Practices
and Performance”, Industrial Relations Journal 34(3)
 Regini M. (2000) “Between Deregulation and Social Pacts: The Responses of European
Economies to Globalisation”, Politics & Society 28(1)
12. Public sector labour relations: models and processes of reform in Italy and Europe in the
1990s. The problem of labour disputes in essential public services
(LB – Friday, March 31)
Required reading:
 Bordogna L. (2003), “The Reform of Public Sector Employment Relations in Industrialized
Democracies”, in Lipsky D.-Brock J. (eds.) Going Public: The Role of Labor-Management
Relations in Delivering Quality Government Services, Urbana Champaign, Ill.: Industrial
Relations Research Association-ILR Press, ch. 1, pp. 23-66
Recommended readings:
 Bordogna L., Cella G.P. (2002), “Decline or transformation? Change in industrial conflict and
its challenges”, in Transfer, 4 (Winter), pp. 586-607
 Bach S., Bordogna L., Della Rocca G., Winchester D. (eds.) (1999), Public Service
Employment Relations in Europe: Transformation, Modernization or Inertia?, London:
Routledge