Social concertation in times of austerity : : European integration and the politics of labour market reforms in Austria and Switzerland / / Alexandre Afonso.

• VerfasserIn: Afonso, Alexandre,
• Place / Publishing House: Amsterdam : : Amsterdam University Press,, 2013.
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (258 pages)

A term specifically found in European politics, social concertation refers to cooperation between trade unions, governments and employers in public policy-making. Social Concertation in Times of Austerity investigates the political underpinnings of social concertation in the context of European integration. Alexandre Afonso focuses on the regulation of labor mobility and unemployment protection in Austria and Switzerland, two of Europe's most prosperous countries, and he looks at nonpartisan policymaking as a strategy for compromise. With this smart, new study, Afonso powerfully enters the debate on the need for a shared social agenda in post-crisis Western Europe. --Provided by publisher.

Table of Contents

Social concertation in times of austerity - 2 Table of Contents - 6 List of Tables and Figures - 8 List of Abbreviations - 10 Acknowledgements - 14 1 The Strange Survival of Social Concertation in Times of Austerity - 16 2 Social Concertation as a Political Strategy - 26 3 European Integration, Domestic Politicsnd Social Concertation - 54 4 Methods and Cases - 76 5 The Context of Social Concertation in Switzerland and Austria - 92 6 Social Concertation and Cross-Border Labour Mobility - 112 7 Social Concertation and Unemployment Policy Reforms - 156 8 Synthesis and Comparative Outlook - 196 List of Interviews - 216 Notes - 218 References - 224 Index - 254.