Collective Bargaining in Multinational Companies in the U.S., Germany and Spain

Abstract

This dissertation examines collective negotiations in multinational auto companies in the United States, Germany, and Spain. The empirical chapters trace the changes of collective negotiations and employment relations over time. The case studies give a rich empirical account of how management and labour adapted employment relations to a changing world, which included the expansion and liberalization of markets, increasing overcapacities, the internationalization of production, and the rise of new competitors. The historical and comparative perspective of the dissertation allows a number of intriguing questions to be addressed. Is convergence of employment relations taking place across countries? Do national employment institutions continue to shape employment relations decisively? Are labour unions a victim of globalization and simply overwhelmed by footloose multinational companies?