Collective bargaining and social dialogue in the EU furniture industry: Background paper

This background paper provides basic material about the industrial relations in the European furniture industry. It complements a series of lectures that were held in January 2024 in South Africa, initiated by the Bargaining Council for the Furniture Manufacturing Industry of the Western Cape. The paper is a more in-depth source, with several data and other content that could only be presented in a nutshell during the lectures. The 1st section is dedicated to the (different) industrial relation systems that have been developed in Europe. The 2nd section is dedicated to facts and figures. It is noted that the furniture industry is not very well covered by statistics. But, on the other hand, the industry has a rather stable position, also on the global market, in the higher segment of the woodworking industries. In the 3rd section the dimensions of social dialogue are illustrated. The final section lists a selection of national trade union priorities in the Netherlands over the last decades. It is based on a brief analysis of the development of the furniture bargaining agenda.