Notice of Industrial Action : A new measure of industrial conflict?

• In the post-industrial era, work stoppages are rarely used in collective bargaining processes. However, this trend does not indicate that employers and unions no longer have different interests. Rather we suggest that the contentious struggle on the labor market takes a different form today, namely through notice of industrial action. Work stoppages are costly for both parties and require considerable mobilization of members to go on strike whereas threatening to start work stoppages (i.e. submit a notice of industrial action) requires other types of power resources and yet can be used as an effective means to put pressure on the counterparty in collective bargaining. Research has until now neglected this important institution in collective bargaining. By using unique data about notices of industrial action and strikes in Sweden (1980-2015) we show that even though strikes have decreased, notices of industrial action - threat of strike - have not. In the paper we analyze and compare unions that frequently submit notices in collective bargaining to those who start strikes, and we examine why notices are used in collective bargaining.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Statsvetenskap -- Statsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Political Science -- Political Science (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

notice of industrial action

strike

work stoppage

collective bargaining

Statskunskap

Political Science

Sociologi

Sociology

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)