Many EU and non-EU countries, such as the USA, have experienced a labour productivity stagnation or slowdown over the last decade. Academics, policy makers and business leaders are concerned to reverse this trend since productivity is the ultimate engine of growth in the global economy (OECD 2015). As the working population is projected to decline with the ageing population, labour productivity growth becomes the sole source for potential average output growth in both the EU and the euro area starting from 2028 (European Commission, 2014). This includes both the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of growth.

Against this background, the project Bargaining for Productivity aims to shed light on the reasons behind labour productivity slowdown or weak growth in some countries. It analyses public policies on labour productivity and their (in)effectiveness and focuses on the potential and effective implication of collective bargaining on labour productivity.

Comparative report

Events of the project

• Kick-off Meeting, Bergamo, May 23, 2016
• Mid-term workshop, London, April 28, 2017
• Internal meeting, Warsaw, June 16, 2017
• Final conference, Rome, September 4, 2017