ABSTRACT
In this Postscript, we extend our analysis of social concertation to the Coronavirus (or Covid-19) pandemic which started in early 2020. Revisiting the eight selected countries covered in the volume, we review the use of job retention schemes and the role of social partners in responding to the pandemic. We consider how the European social model (and its variants) shaped the employment policy responses to the pandemic during the second quarter of 2020. In particular, we analyse the policy diffusion of short-time work schemes to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, having learnt from their use in the Great Recession. We also explore whether the response of governments and social partners followed or differed from the Great Recession. In particular, unions and employers play a role during the containment period and as part of the return-to-work processes.
