02215cas a2200265 a 4500 AALejournalIMF018126 230101c9999 xx r poo 0 0eng d 5.00 USD 9781484332986 1018-5941 BD-DhAAL BD-DhAAL Hijzen, Alexander. Collective Bargaining Through the Magnifying Glass : A Comparison Between the Netherlands and Portugal / Alexander Hijzen, Pedro Martins, Jante Parlevliet. Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 2017. 1 online resource (42 pages) IMF Working Papers <strong>Off-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required <strong>On-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required Electronic access restricted to authorized BRAC University faculty, staff and students Since the global financial crisis, sector-level bargaining has come under renewed scrutiny. While in Southern Europe, the crisis raised concerns about the role of collective bargaining as an obstacle to labor market adjustment, in Northern Europe it was perceived more favourably and, according to some, may even have helped to weather the fallout of the crisis more easily. This paper seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of sector-level bargaining systems and their role for labor market performance. We compare two countries with seemingly similar collective bargaining systems, the Netherlands and Portugal, and document a number of features that may affect labor market outcomes, including: i) the scope for flexibility at the firm or worker level within sector-level agreements; ii) the emphasis on representativeness as a criterion for extensions; iii) the effectiveness of coordination across bargaining units; and iv) pro-active government policies to enhance trust and cooperation between the social partners. Mode of access: Internet Martins, Pedro. Parlevliet, Jante. IMF Working Papers; Working Paper ; No. 2017/275 Full text available on IMF http://elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/001/2017/275/001.2017.issue-275-en.xml IMF e-Library