Labor disputes in a framework of Union competence. A statistical analysis for the Spanish case

Abstract

The workforce representatives "generally represented by an union" are responsible to embody the collective voice of workers, defending their interests and proposals in the productive environment. The representation of workers is manifested through collective action, and its main tool against its counterpart, ie business organization, is the conflict "strike". With the conflict, the workers and especially their representatives show the power they hold to defend their interests.

Several studies have been focused on analyzing the relationship between forms of labor representation and conflict, empirically highlighting the existence of a different relationship between both than it would be expected theoretically. In this regard, the evidence indicates that the concentration of workforce representation in a single labor organization or union, hypothetically related to greater unity in the labor representation in the workplace and therefore more power to convene workers to collective action, is not associated with a higher level of industrial conflict. All studies indicate that this inverse relationship between bargaining power and conflict is associated with the effect of multi-unionism and the incentives it creates for union competition.

This study focuses on the Spanish case, shedding light on the analysis of the effect of competition between labor organizations "for increase its institutional power" has on the development of conflict during the collective bargaining. The peculiarities of labor representation system in Spain "based on labour representatives elections" introduces incentive for the rivalry between labor organizations, especially at firm level, where elections are held. Thus the Spanish collective bargaining is good framework of analysis for studying the relationship between competition in labor representation and conflict in the development of collective bargaining.

Our empirical evidences confirm the positive and significant impact of the rivalry between labor organizations on the development of conflict in collective bargaining, being the conflict a "marketing" strategy used for strengthening the leadership of labor organizations and maintain their reputation with their clients: employees.