Search

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to shed knowledge about the relationship between the inter-firm job mobility and the occupational transitions in Spain during the last years. In particular, it is tested whether if the type of job-to-job mobility (voluntary or involuntary) has some influence on the workers careers. The empirical analysis is based on panel data provided by the Living Condition Survey, which is conducted by the Spanish Statistics Institute (INE). The period analysed covers the years between 2005 and 2010 (both inclusive), what allows observing the labour mobility patterns in the recent Spanish economic crisis. Design/methodology/approach – The econometric specification used to analyse occupational mobility corresponds to a random effect panel multinomial logit model. The econometric model is estimated separately for workers that have remained at the same firm and for workers who have changed firms; for the latter group, a dummy variable indicating whether the individual quit or was laid off is included as a regressor. Findings – The results derived from the estimates of the econometric specifications show that individuals who voluntarily leave a firm find the decision has a positive effect on their careers, as their probability of upward occupational mobility is more than 90 per cent higher than for individuals who leave their previous position as a result of having been laid off. Social implications – This result is an argument in favour of adopting active labour market policies that help improve information flows in the labour market and allow workers a better understanding of potential job offers from outside firms. Originality/value – This paper analyses the relationship between inter-firm mobility and occupational transitions that has not yet addressed in the economic literature for Spain.

PurposeThe purpose of this editorial is to examine whether the social dimension of the single European market (SEM) has stalled or come to an end.Design/methodology/approachThis editorial outlines the existing minimum standards in SEM, the processes whereby they have/are established, and reviews the progress on the revision of the working time and European Works Council (EWC) Directive.FindingsThe absence of proposals from the EU Commission other than on temporary and agency workers since 2002 has the EU wide trade union bodies, especially the ETUC to argue that EU member states' government continue to have a higher priority for the economic Europe (for example, labour market flexibility) than the social Europe (the establishment of workers' rights). This view has been enforced in that the EU Commission has been tardy in its revision of the working time and the EWC Directives. In the summer of 2008, the commission brought forward a series of measures aimed at stressing the social dimension of the SEM. These included a revised EWC Directive but they are unlikely to continue trade unions in Europe that EU member state government give as much priority to the social Europe as well as the economic Europe.Originality/valueThe editorial offers insights into the priority given to the social Europe relative to the economic Europe.

Outlines the new individual and collective rights established for all employees by the first Blair Labour Government. It then discusses the rationale for these developments, namely competitive advantage on the basis of labour market flexibility combined with minimum labour standards and security of employment for employees, the promotion of a partnership, as opposed to adversial, relationship between employers and employees at the workplace and the need to build a political consensus for a legal framework surrounding the UK employee relations system. The article concludes by assessing whether these developments represent a break and/or continuation relative to other twentieth century UK governments.

The labour markets of Australia and New Zealand have been regulated in similar ways, through industrial conciliation and arbitration, since the early 1900s. Globalization and market deregulation generally have led to intense pressure for greater labour market flexibility in both countries. In New Zealand, flexibility was achieved by a radical dismantling of the industrial relations system. What had been essentially a multi‐employer bargaining system was replaced with a system that supported individual employment contracting. In Australia, conciliation and arbitration remained protected by the constitution; however, industrial relations reforms aimed at severely weakening the system were implemented in the 1990s. This paper compares various labour market outcomes across both countries. The trends in both countries are similar despite maintaining different systems. Collective bargaining coverage has dropped. Collective bargaining outcomes have seen reductions in benefits, and significant changes in working time arrangements. Union density has dropped, as also has public sector employment.

This paper investigates the relationship between national culture and the main dimensions of employment flexibility. A cultural model of comparative labour market flexibility is developed. Using Hofstede’s indices for measuring national culture, hypotheses concerning the association between a range of variables measuring employment flexibility (such as employment patterns, working time, unemployment and labour mobility) are regressed on Hofstede’s four cultural variables. The results suggest a strong association between Hofstede’s masculinity versus femininity index and employment patterns, working timeand unemployment. Employment “inflexibility” is linked to cultural values reflecting feminine gender structuring of society. A strong relationship between Hofstede’s individualism versus collectivism variable and labour mobility is also established, which suggests that labour mobility is less, and job tenure longer in countries where there is greater cultural loyalty to the group. The results are supportive of a cultural model and have implications for both comparative labour market theory and policy.

Looks at human resource management (HRM) and in particular how it is used in Mexican literature. Also examines the Thatcherite approach, with regard to declining international competitiveness, in seeking labour market reforms to try and realign competitiveness from Asian economies. Labour market flexibility (LMF) and strategic human resource management (SHRM) are posited as having strategic roles in off‐setting employers′ attempts to discard traditional means of collective labour market regulations.

The radical revision of the wages council system in the mid‐1980s in the claimed interests of increasing labour market flexibility was a controversial measure. Against this background, a study of minimum wages and conditions and other related matters was undertaken in the hotel industry in 1989 in the North West region and among the major national companies. Findings from this study about remuneration and employment practice in regard to young workers and adults are discussed in the context of labour market developments of the 1980s in the hotel industry. Such developments include trends in employment, minimum pay and earnings. Some future issues in relation to minimum wage‐fixing are also mentioned.