Breaking through the crisis with decentralisation? : Collective bargaining in the EU aft er the great recession

The chapter presents the results of the comparative analysis of recent developments in collective bargaining in five European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Although the crisis induced a number of policydriven changes – especially in the countries hit hardest by the economic downturn and more exposed in terms of public finances – no systemic changes in the operation of the collective bargaining machinery have yet taken place. Indeed, a number of elements indicate the resilience of national employment relations, which can be attributed essentially to the autonomous institutions of industrial relations and the actions of the social partners.