'The complexity of employment arrangements in various countries tends to make it difficult to understand them. Nevertheless, it is important to ‘take stock' periodically, particularly from an internationally comparative perspective. This remarkable book is a giant step in that direction. It is especially valuable in the context of increasing globalisation.

For each of nine key jurisdictions – the European Union, Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Japan – experts present detailed information and analysis on key issues, shedding valuable light on trends in such specific areas of employment relations as the following:

• atypical work and flexible work arrangements;

• dispute settlement procedures such as negotiation, conciliation, mediation, arbitration and other forms of governmental or judicial intervention;

• job security, anti-discrimination and gender equality;

• recognition of unions and employers' associations and forms of employee representation;

• how collective bargaining is regulated, whom the collective agreements cover and what they contain;

• parental leave and childcare policy;

• the capacity of individual agreements to override or not override collective agreements;

• minimum wage levels;

• overtime and shift work; and

• paid leave entitlements.

As a general framework, Part 1 offers an insightful summary of the underpinnings of current analysis of globalization, including discussion of the varieties of capitalism thesis, the divergence/convergence debate (with its models of bipolarization, clustering and hybridization), and elements of historical and political-economic path dependency in various cultures.

The information gathered here furthers understanding of the increasing ‘disconnect' between the prevailing institutional framework for employment relations and the sweeping changes that are taking place in the world of work. With this book's analysis, practitioners and policymakers will be able to overcome their dated assumptions and more effectively accommodate each others' interests in the face of the complex mix of continuity and change that they are confronting.

The team of authors are experts in these countries. They are active in policy or legal analysis, business and/or scholarship. '

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