Trade Union Objectives and Economic Growth

24 Pages Posted: 8 Nov 2001

See all articles by Andreas Irmen

Andreas Irmen

University of Luxembourg - Ceter for Research in Economic Analysis (CREA); CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute for Economic Research), Munich

Berthold U. Wigger

University of Mannheim - Department of Economics; CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

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Date Written: October 2001

Abstract

A trade union whose purpose is to raise wages above the competitive level may foster economic growth if it succeeds in shifting income away from the owners of capital to the workers and if the workers' marginal propensity to save exceeds that of capitalists. We make this point in an overlapping generations framework with unionized labor. Considering a monopoly union that cares for wages and employment, we determine a range of trade union objectives and characterize the aggregate technology so that the union's policy spurs per capita income growth and increases the welfare of all generations that adhere to the union.

Keywords: Trade union, overlapping generations, factor shares, endogenous technical change, employment

JEL Classification: D91, E25, J51, O41

Suggested Citation

Irmen, Andreas and Wigger, Berthold U., Trade Union Objectives and Economic Growth (October 2001). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=289688

Andreas Irmen (Contact Author)

University of Luxembourg - Ceter for Research in Economic Analysis (CREA) ( email )

162a, avenue de la Faïencerie
Luxembourg, L – 1511
Luxembourg

HOME PAGE: http://wwwen.uni.lu/recherche/fdef/crea/people/andreas_irmen

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute for Economic Research), Munich

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

Berthold U. Wigger

University of Mannheim - Department of Economics ( email )

D-68131 Mannheim
Germany
+49 621 181 1797 (Phone)
+49 621 181 1794 (Fax)

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.CESifo.de

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