ABSTRACT
The developments to be examined in this chapter are concerned with the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the labour market. Put another way, the analysis will concentrate mainly on supply-side factors, although some aspects of the derived demand for labour will also be explored. On the supply side, the analysis is initially concerned with those factors which determine the size of the labour force. (The more problematical question of ‘efficiency’ forms the basis of the final section.) Next, the development of vocational training is considered. This is followed by an account of the evolution of collective bargaining. Some caution is necessary here: minimum wage rates and other conditions of employment are settled at the regional level. The actors at this (first) level are the trade unions and employers’ associations. These general conditions are then implemented, often with some enhancement, at the establishment or company level. The actors at this second level are the relevant works councils and individual employer. Policy making in the labour market is therefore a complex process.
