Extending the application of collective bargaining institutions and coverage is deemed a necessary process to enhance working conditions and job quality in the two sub-sectors (Cazes, Garnero, and Martin 2019; Hassel, 2023), as well as to strengthen the attractiveness and the retention capacity of a crucial segment of the tertiary sector, that is transnationally experiencing high turnover and severe labour and skill shortage (Vujicic and Zurn 2006). This urgency is reflected also in the Care Strategy issued by the Commission in December 2022 that stresses the central role to be assigned to collective bargaining and social dialogue bodies at both national and European levels to improve working conditions, to attract more workers – in particular men – to the care sector, and to design continuous education and training for care workers to overcome skill and labour shortage.
WP2 of the DEVCOBA project explores the structure of collective bargaining and wage setting in each country, assessing its strengths and weaknesses with respect to each critical dimension and the broader goal of improving wages and working conditions.