Wage negotiations by craft unions and fairness perceptions : a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

"In recent years, several occupational groups implemented - favored by the occupational stratification of the German labor market - social closure and negotiated independently from established trade unions through specific craft unions. Thus, they achieved comparatively high wage increases. This paper analyzes under what circumstances high wage increases for specific occupational groups which are represented by craft unions are assessed as being fair by German employees. For this purpose, fairness judgments on hypothetical scenarios were obtained from a vignette study. The results show that 51.6% of respondents considered exclusive wage increases as (rather) fair. Furthermore, aspects of distributive and procedural justice are also significant in the context of collective representation of interests. Fairness judgements are influenced positively if the wage increases are based on efforts of the occupational group, if the consequences for other employees are considered and relevant information is shared." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Dütsch, M., Stephan, G. & Struck, O. (2017): Lohnpolitik von Berufsgewerkschaften und Gerechtigkeitswahrnehmungen: Eine quasi-experimentelle Analyse. In: Industrielle Beziehungen, Vol. 24, No. 3, p. 271-295. DOI:10.3224/indbez.v24i3.02