A popular argument is that deeper European integration along with moves towards productive decentralization will recast existing governance structures for the labour market. In particular, it is suggested that national industrial relations systems may gradually give way to regional employment systems. This paper takes a critical look at this thesis. After outlining in detail the influences that may cause the nation-state to wither as a site for economic management, the paper assesses whether the institutional and economic conditions exist for the emergence of regional forms of industrial relations. The conclusion is that many of the conditions are not in place and as a result any precipitate shift away from present national arrangements could lead to considerable fragmentation and distortions.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Adonis, A.
and S. Jones (1991) 'Subsidiarity and the Community's Constitutional Future', Discussion Paper No. 2. Nuffield College, Centre for European Studies.
2.
Barro, R.J.
and X. Sala-i-Martin (1992) 'Convergence', Journal of Political Economy100(2): 609-641.
3.
Begg, I.G.
and D. Mayes (1992) 'Cohesion as a Precondition for Monetary Union in Europe', in R. Barrel (ed.), Economic Convergence and Monetary Union in Europe. London: Sage.
4.
Bowring, J.
(1986) Competition in a Dual Economy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
5.
Brewster, C.
and A. Hegewisch (eds) (1994) Policy and Practice in European Human Resource Management: Evidence and Analysis. London: Routledge.
6.
Buiges, P.
, F. Ilzkovitz and F.J. Lebrun (1990) 'The Impact of the Internal Market by Industrial Sector: The Challenge for the Member States', European Economy! Social Europe (Special Edition).
7.
Calmfors, L.
(1993) 'Centralisation of Wage Bargaining and Macro-economic Performance A Survey', OECD Economic Studies21(3): 391-417.
8.
CEPR (Centre for Economic Policy Research)
(1993) Making Sense of Subsidiarity: How Much Centralisation for Europe?London: CEPR.
9.
Crouch, C.
(1993) Industrial Relations and European State Traditions. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
10.
Eichengreen, B.
(1992) Should the Maastricht Treaty be Saved? Princeton Studies in International Finance. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
11.
Eichengreen, B.
and J. Frieden (1993) 'The Political Economy of European Monetary Unification: An Analytical Introduction', Economics and Politics5(3): 4-21.
12.
Emerson, M.
(1988) The Economics of 1992: The EC Commission's Assessment of the Economic Effects of Completing the Internal Market. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
13.
European Commission
(1993) 'Growth, Competitiveness and Employment: The Challenges and Ways Forward into the 21st Century', White Paper. Luxembourg: Office of Official Publications of the European Communities.
14.
Hanley, D.
(ed.) (1994) Christian Democracy in Europe: A Comparative Perspective. London: Pinter Press.
15.
Harrison, B.
(1992) 'Industrial Districts: Old Wine in New Bottles?', Regional Studies25(5): 431-443.
16.
Henley, A.
and E. Tsaksolotos (1994) Corporatism and Labour Market Performance. London: Edward Elgar.
17.
Hyman, R.
(1994) 'Industrial Relations in Western Europe: An Era of Ambiguity', Industrial Relations33(1): 4-32.
18.
Katz, L.
and D. Blanchard (1992) 'Regional Evolutions', Brookings Papers on Economic Activity1: 1-77.
19.
Keating, M.
(1993) 'The Political Economy of Regionalism', mimeograph. Department of Politics, University of Western Ontario.
20.
Krugman, P.
(1991) 'Increasing Returns and Economic Geography'. Journal of Political Economy99(3): 83-99.
21.
Layard, R.
(1990) 'How to End Pay Leapfrogging', Employment Institute Economic Report, No. 5. London: Employment Institute.
22.
Locke, R.
(1990) 'The Resurgence of the Local Union: IndListrial Restructuring and Industrial Relations in Italy', Politics and Society18(3): 321-344.
23.
Lorenz, E.
(1993) 'Flexible Production Systems and the Social Construction of Trust', Politics and Society21(3): 407-425.
24.
Marsden, D.
(1992) 'European Integration and the Integration of European Labour Markets', mimeograph. Department of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics.
25.
Moravscik, A.
(1993) 'Preferences and Power in the European Community: A Liberal Intergovernmentalist Approach', Journal of Common Market Studies31(4): 311-337.
26.
Piore, M.
(1993) 'Human Resource Management: A Critical Assessment', Review of Employment Topics1(1): 1-12.
27.
Regini, M.
(1993) 'Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations in European Companies', International Journal of Human Resource Management3(3): 432-459.
28.
Romer, P.
(1994) 'The Origins of Endogenous Growth', Journal of Economic Perspectives8(1): 3-18.
29.
Sabel, C.
(1991) 'Decentralised Production Systems and Trust Relations', mimeograph. Department of Politics, MIT.
30.
Sabel, C.
(1992) 'Studied Trust, Building New Forms of Co-operation in a Volatile Economy', in F. Pyke and W. Sengenberger (eds), Industrial Districts and Local Economic Regeneration. Geneva: International Labour Organisation.
31.
Saglio, J.
(1992) 'Localised Industrial Systems in France: A Particular Type of Industrial System', in A. Scott and M. Storper (eds), Pathways to Industrialisation. London: Routledge.
32.
Scheltex, K. (1991) 'La subsidiarite principe directeur de la future Europe', Revue du Marche Commun 34(4): 171-89.
33.
Scott, A.
, J. Peterson and D. Millar (1994) 'Subsidiarity: A Europe of the Regions v the British Constitution?', Journal of Common Market Studies32(1): 64-82.
34.
Sengenberger, W.
(1992) 'Intensified Competition, Industrial Restructuring and Industrial Relations', International Labour Review131, 34(2): 262-289.
35.
Solow, R.
(1990) The Labour Market as a Social Institution. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
36.
Soskice, D.
(1989) 'Wage Determination: The Changing Role of Institutions in Advanced Industrialised Economies', Oxford Review of Economic Policy7(3).
37.
Spencer, J. (1992) 'European Monetary Union and the Regions', mimeo. Queens University Belfast.
38.
Streeck, W.
(1992a) 'National Diversity, Regime Competition and Institutional Deadlock: Problems in Forming a European Industrial Relations System', Journal of Public Policy12(2): 279-302.
39.
Streeck, W.
(1992b) Social Institutions and Economic Performance. London: Sage.
40.
Streeck, W.
(1994) 'Pay Restraint without Incomes Policy: Institutionalised Monetarism and Industrial Unionism in Germany', in R. Dore et al. (eds), The Return to Incomes Policy. London: Pinter Press.
41.
Teague, P.
(1994) 'Employment Policy in the European Union, Between New Keynesianism and Deregulation', Journal of European Public Policy1(3): 1-32.
42.
Teague, P.
(forthcoming) Labour Market Governance in the New Europe. London: Routledge.
43.
Teague, P.
and J. Grahl (1993) Industrial Relations and European Integration. London: Lawrence and Wishart.
44.
Teague, P.
and J. Grahl (1994) 'Economic Citzenship in the New Europe', Political Quarterly98(3): 309-326.
45.
Ulman, L.
(1992) 'Why Should Human Resource Managers Pay High Wages?', British Journal of Industrial Relations30(1): 87-94.
46.
Van Kersbergen, K.
and B. Kerbeck (1994) 'The Politics of Subsidiarity in the European Union', Journal of Common Market Studies32(2): 227-242.
