Alternative views of the role of wages: contours of a European Minimum Wage Europe at a crossroads which way to quality jobs and prosperity? ETUI-ETUC Conference Brussels, 24-26 September 2014 Dr. Torsten Müller European Trade Union Institute - ETUI
Role of wages in current crisis management Basic assumption: Lowering labour costs is the key to regain (price) competitiveness!!! 1. Direct intervention into current wage developments (wage cuts and freezes) 2. Structural reforms of collective bargaining systems in order to increase downward flexibility of wages
EU-level approach to collective bargaining DG ECFIN: Employment friendly reforms Decreasing bargaining coverage Decreasing extension of collective agreements Decentralizing bargaining systems Removing or limiting the favourability principle Introducing/Extending possibilities to derogate from higher level agreements Overall reduction of wage-setting power of trade unions
Results of employment-friendly reforms 1. Still decreasing employment rates in problem countries Increase in precarious employment 2. Persistently high unemployment 3. increasing in-work poverty - strong downward pressure on wages leading to deflationary tendencies and downward wage competition with negative effects for consumer demand.
Real wage developments 2010-2014 (in %) 25 20 15 18,3 16,8 14,4 16 out of 28 member states were faced with a decrease in real wages 10 5 0-5 -10-15 6,6 5,9 4,0 3,5 3,1 1,2 0,6 0,2 0,1-0,3-0,4-1,5-2,2-2,6-3,4-4,1-4,9-5,5-6,5-6,8-6,9-8,1-10,6-20 -25 *Nominal compensation deflated by the national HCPI Source: AMECO (2014 forecast of the European -19,8-23,8-30 LV BG LT SE PL EE DE SK FR BE FI DK CZ HR AT LU MT IT NL RO UK SI IE ES PT HU CY EL
Need for U-Turn in Crisis Management Alternative view of wages: From a supply-side export-led growth model towards a Demand-side wage-led growth model
Different minimum wage regimes Regulatory Instrument/Scope Universal regimes (Uniform national minimum wage defining a general wage floor) Sectoral regimes (No general wage floor, but minimum wages for certain branches or occupational groups) Law Western Europe: France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Ireland, United Kingdom Southern Europe: Greece (from 2012), Malta, Portugal, Spain Eastern Europe: Croatia (from 2008), Lithuania, Latvia, Romania (from 2011), Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary (from 2011) Cyprus Collective or tripartite agreement Western Europe: Belgium Germany (from 2015) Southern Europe: Greece (until 2012) Eastern Europe: Bulgaria*, Estonia*, Poland*, Slovakia*, Croatia (until 2008), Romania (until 2011), Hungary (until 2011) Northern Europe: Denmark, Finland, Sweden Western Europe: Germany (until 2015), Austria Southern Europe: Italy * If a tripartite agreement is not concluded, the decision is taken by the legislator. Source: Schulten 2014
Different absolute minimum wage levels
Different relative minimum wage levels
MW regimes and collective bargaining coverage
Who benefits from European minimum wage?
Key elements of European minimum wage policy 1. EMW has to take into account national diversity of MW regimes and levels; 2. Relative MW measured in relation to overall wage structure; 3. Statutory and collectively agreed MW must be viewed as functional equivalents; 4. Initiative must also include measures to improve collective bargaining coverage
Alternative views of the role of wages: contours of a European Minimum Wage Thank you very much for your attention!!! Dr. Torsten Müller Senior Researcher European Trade Union Institute Bld. du Roi Albert II, 5 1210 Brussels Email: tmueller@etui.org