ABSTRACT
There have been few international comparisons of employers’ organizations. In this chapter three employer bodies in three countries but within the same sector – higher education – are compared. The three bodies are the Australian Higher Education Industrial Association, Faculty Bargaining Services in Canada, and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association in the UK. In making the comparison the three explanatory variables for employer organization identified by Schmitter and Streeck (1999) are considered. It is argued that ‘countervailing power’ is the most important explanation for employer organization, with all three employer bodies facing well organized trade unions which necessitates coordination and information sharing between employers. The ability to respond to interventions by the state is also an important factor in all three countries. While not subject to direct state intervention in bargaining as found in the public sector, funding constraints and political expectations place similar pressures on employers in terms of containing pay growth. Finally, there is also evidence that the provision of Olson's (1971) selective ‘private goods’, in the form of pay data and bargaining advice, is also a major attraction for employers to join the organizations.
