Between trust and control: company-level bargaining on flexible working hours in the Danish and German metal industries

TY - JOUR

T1 - Between trust and control

T2 - company-level bargaining on flexible working hours in the Danish and German metal industries

AU - Ilsøe, Anna

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - Denmark is often highlighted as a good example of organised decentralisation in which employee bargaining power remains comparatively strong. However, comparative analysis of the Danish case rarely reflects how the social contracts between management and workers’ representatives contribute to the bargaining outcome at company level. Drawing on 10 case studies in the German and Danish metal industries carried out in 2005, this article argues that the social contracts at the Danish case companies allow a more efficient use of company-level agreements on flexible working hours than the social contracts at the German case companies.

AB - Denmark is often highlighted as a good example of organised decentralisation in which employee bargaining power remains comparatively strong. However, comparative analysis of the Danish case rarely reflects how the social contracts between management and workers’ representatives contribute to the bargaining outcome at company level. Drawing on 10 case studies in the German and Danish metal industries carried out in 2005, this article argues that the social contracts at the Danish case companies allow a more efficient use of company-level agreements on flexible working hours than the social contracts at the German case companies.

U2 - 10.1111/j.1468-2338.2009.00552.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1468-2338.2009.00552.x

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0019-8692

VL - 41

SP - 34

EP - 51

JO - Industrial Relations Journal

JF - Industrial Relations Journal

IS - 1

ER -