ABSTRACT
This chapter compares the country and sector findings by focusing on the inwards- and outwards-oriented interactions between minimum wage rules and social dialogue. Comparisons between developed and developing countries point to even more marked dissimilarities, reflecting differences in institutional resources, the reach of trade unions and the size and influence of the informal sector. Minimum wage policy formulation has long been dominated by mainstream economics research, yet its obvious relevance for policy arenas is attracting important contributions from social policy, feminist economics and industrial relations scholars. The chapter provides a comparative overview of ‘inwards-oriented interactions’, which occur when the views of unions and employers influence, or are incorporated into, the fixing of minimum wages. Tensions arise where minimum wage policy is at odds with specific conditions experienced at sector or firm level, notably market conditions, labour supply issues and cost pressures. The chapter also presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book.
