European collective bargaining: A virtual prospect?

Recent developments in the EU have given renewed impetus to the prospect of European-level collective bargaining. Greater divergence within national s ystems of industrial relations alongside the emergence of European-level st ructures is reflected in the emergence of nascent forms of European collect ive bargaining at three levels: interprofessional, sector and Euro-company. Best described as 'virtual collective bargaining', these embrace two proce sses: the conclusion of 'framework agreements' or 'joint opinions' which es tablish bargaining parameters for national-level actors; and 'arms length' bargaining, where the parties do not negotiate directly, but where bargaini ng outcomes are increasingly anticipated and co-ordinated across countries. EMU is likely to accelerate these processes.