Competition between workers. Study in French an European labour laws (09-nov-07, 14:30)

By: Christine Alglave

Competition between workers has been mentioned so far in labour economy, international economy as well as in sociology. Labor law seems, at first sight, to ignore the fact. Yet, competition between workers was partially made possible with the way firms used regulation to make the standard wage model more flexible or increase the performances of the workers.  Under the pressure of the crisis and the opening of economies, national authorities and  European institutions made professional mobility easier, allowed and set up various devices in order to make work more flexible and less expensive and encourage employment. Resorting to precarious contracts was adapted to meet with demands of  companies, helped contracts were created to make integration and employment comeback easier. However it ensues from this that the wage status is disintegrating – this wage statuts being built on the model of job stability which partially protected workers from competition. The consequences of competition between workers tend to modify the very ends of social law, focused on the protection of workers and turn it into a social competition law giving responsabilities.