Right to unionisation
| Quick info | |
|---|---|
| Data type | Numeric |
| Scale | Metric |
| Value labels | Not applicable |
| Technical name | labor_union |
| Category | Labour and labour market |
| Label | Right to Unionisation |
| Related indicators | |
This variable is taken from the CBR Labour Regulation Index Dataset (‘CBR-LRI’), which provides data on labor laws in 117 countries for the period from (in most cases) 1970 to 2022, except for post-socialist countries (see Adams et al. 2017, 2023). The variable measures the protection of the right to form trade unions in the country's constitution (flexibly interpreted in the case of countries without a codified constitution). The CBR-LRI data was coded using provisions of law and relevant court decisions, which are taken from secondary sources, national law databases, and ILO NATLEX data. The variable scale ranges from "0" to "1" where "0" corresponds to the legal system do not recognise a right to form unions (neither of the above) and "1" to the constitution recognises and is granting a right to form trade unions. Values in between describe, for example:
- 0.67 = the constitution is describing trade unions as a matter of public policy or public interest
- 0.33 = the constitution is recognising trade unions otherwise or there is a reference to freedom of association
Coding rules
The coding template (algorithm) with the definition of the variable and instructions for the coding process is described in Adams et al. (2017, 2023). The assessment of the scale level in the CBR-LRI documentation and the description of the values in the template are partially contradictory. The scale level was set uniformly to metric for all CBR-LRI data on collective rights in the 1st project phase of CRC 1342; this is retained for pragmatic reasons. As Adams et al. (2023) describe, the value of the variable "right to unionisation" "Equals 1 if a right to form trade unions is expressly granted by the constitution. Equals 0.67 if trade unions are described in the constitution as a matter of public policy or public interest. Equals 0.33 if trade unions are otherwise mentioned in the constitution or there is a reference to freedom of association which encompasses trade unions. Equals 0 otherwise. Scope for further gradations between 0 and 1 to reflect changes in the strength of the law."
Bibliographic info
Citation: Adams, Zoe, Parisa Bastani, Louise Bishop, and Simon Deakin. 2017. "The CBR-LRI Dataset: Methods, Properties and Potential of Leximetric Coding of Labour Law." International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations 33 (1): 59–91.http://kluwerlawonline.com/abstract.php?area=Journals&id=IJCL2017004
Related publications:- Adams, Zoe, Louise Bishop, and Simon Deakin. 2016. CBR Labour Regulation Index (Dataset of 117 Countries). Cambridge: Centre for Business Research. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1810/263766/CBR_LRI_Dataset_Codebook_Methodology_2017_pdf.pdf?sequence=16&isAllowed=y
- Deakin, Simon, Jonas Malmberg, and Prabirjit Sarkar. 2014. "How do labour laws affect unemployment and the labour share of national income? The experience of six OECD countries, 1970-2010". International Labour Review 153 (1): 1-27. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1564-913X.2014.00195.x
Misc
Project manager(s):- Responsible for data editing and entry: Andrea Schäfer (2021-2025), Jean-Yves Gerlitz (2018-20)
- Deakin, Simon, John Armour, and Mathias Siems (2017). CBR Leximetric Datasets [updated] [Dataset]. Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.9130 https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.9130
- Deakin, Simon, Johna Armour and Mathias Siems (2023). CBR Leximetric Datasets [Updated 2023]. Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.9130.
- Principal Investigator: Irene Dingeldey, Ulrich Mückenberger
- Student assistants (alphabetical ordering): Karolin Meyer
Data release: Version 0.001: Initial release with data from CBR-LRI published in April 2017
Version 0.002: Updated with data from CBR-LRI 2023, V2*
Revisions: No revisions yet
