Contractual wages and the wage cushion under different bargaining settings

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Cardoso, AR; Portugal, P
• 署名单位: IZA Institute Labor Economics; Universidade do Minho; Universidade Nova de Lisboa; IZA Institute Labor Economics
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF LABOR ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0734-306X
• DOI: 10.1086/491608
• 发表日期: 2005
• 页码: 875-902
• 关键词: unions; dispersion; INEQUALITY; MODEL

摘要

How does a typically European bargaining system, with collective bargaining and national minimum wage, coexist with low unemployment and high wage flexibility? A unique data set on workers, firms, and collective bargaining contracts in Portugal is used to analyze the determinants of both the contractual wage and the wage cushion ( difference between contractual and actual wages). The results indicate that the wage cushion stretches the returns to worker and firm attributes, whereas it shrinks the returns to union power. Therefore, firm-specific arrangements partly offset collective bargaining, granting firms certain freedom when setting wages. Contractual wages reflect trade unions' egalitarian policy.