Union Free-Riding in Britain and New Zealand

CEP Discussion Paper No. 713

36 Pages Posted: 8 Aug 2006

See all articles by Alex Bryson

Alex Bryson

UCL ; National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR)

Date Written: January 2006

Abstract

The percentage of workers who choose not to join the union available to them at their workplace has been rising in Britain and New Zealand. Social custom, union instrumentality, the fixed costs of joining, employee perceptions of management attitudes to unionization and employee problems at work all influence the propensity to free-ride. Ideological convictions regarding the role of unions also play some role, as do private excludable goods. There is little indication of employer-inspired policies substituting for unionization where unions are already present. Having accounted for all these factors, free-riding remains more common in New Zealand than in Britain.

Keywords: Free-riding, trade union, New Zealand, Britain

JEL Classification: J50

Suggested Citation

Bryson, Alex, Union Free-Riding in Britain and New Zealand (January 2006). CEP Discussion Paper No. 713, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=922336 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.922336

Alex Bryson (Contact Author)

UCL ( email )

20 Bedford Way
London, WC1H 0AL
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=ABRYS65

National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) ( email )

2 Dean Trench Street
Smith Square
London, SW1P 3HE
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.niesr.ac.uk/staff/staffdetail.php?StaffID=307

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