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Has Globalisation Really had no Effect on Unions?
Author(s) -
Dreher Axel,
Gaston Noel
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
kyklos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.766
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1467-6435
pISSN - 0023-5962
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-6435.2007.00367.x
Subject(s) - globalization , presumption , politics , economics , index (typography) , european union , economic globalization , development economics , international economics , political science , market economy , law , world wide web , computer science
SUMMARY For a number of OECD countries, the deterioration of labour market outcomes for less‐skilled workers since the early 1980s has coincided with a steady decline in union membership. Globalisation is commonly believed to have contributed to both developments. However, recent studies fail to find support for the presumption that globalisation adversely affects unions. Revisiting this issue by using a novel globalisation index we find that globalisation has indeed contributed to deunionisation. In delving further into the issue, we find that it is social integration, rather than economic or political integration, that has been the main contributor to the decline in union membership.