The 2011 Industrial Relations Reform and Nominal Wage Adjustments in Greece

This study investigates nominal contractual base-wage adjustments in Greece associated with the 2011 industrial relations reform which re-defined the limits within which base wages could oscillate and allowed workers’ associations to negotiate for wages at the firm level. The assessment covers the period 2010-2013 and is based on information extracted from the universe of firm-level contracts signed in this period. We found that firm-level contracts increased dramatically shortly after the reform, now covering a larger pool of workers, especially in larger firms, and are associated with higher base-wage reductions in the post-reform period. At the firm level, wage reductions are higher when workers are represented by a workers’ association rather than a typical trade union. In addition, a heterogeneous effect is uncovered regarding the factors that shape base-wage adjustments (firm size, profitability, structure of bargaining body and aggregate unemployment) between new and traditional forms of workers’ representation in collective bargaining

Greek women rushed to look for work when the crisis left their husbands jobless

But relatively few found jobs and the number of families with both spouses unemployed has increased, write Joan Daouli, Michael Demoussis and Nicholas Giannakopoulo

The 2011 Industrial Relations Reform and Nominal Wage Adjustments in Greece

This study investigates nominal contractual base-wage adjustments in Greece associated with the 2011 industrial relations reform which re-defined the limits within which base wages could oscillate and allowed workers’ associations to negotiate for wages at the firm level. The assessment covers the period 2010–2013 and is based on information extracted from the universe of firm-level contracts signed in this period. We found that firm-level contracts increased dramatically shortly after the reform, now covering a larger pool of workers, especially in larger firms, and are associated with higher base-wage reductions in the post-reform period. At the firm level, wage reductions are higher when workers are represented by a workers’ association rather than a typical trade union. In addition, a heterogeneous effect is uncovered regarding the factors that shape base-wage adjustments (firm size, profitability, structure of bargaining body and aggregate unemployment) between new and traditional forms of workers’ representation in collective bargaining

The pillars of the desert tourism promotion Beni Abbas region model in the southwestern Algerian

تعتبر منطقة بني عباس، واحدة من الوجهات السياحية في الصحراء الجزائرية، نظرا لما تتمتع به من مقومات ومزايا سياحية راقية. إلا أن الواقع يفيد بأن النشاط السياحي في المنطقة لم يرق إلى المستويات المطلوبة. في هذا السياق تسلط هذه الدراسة الضوء على بعض الآليات التي قد تكون مساعدة لجعل المنطقة مقصدا سياحيا، يعود بالمنفعة محليا ووطنيا.     As a matter of fact, Bani Abbas has been considered as one of the main touristic places in the Algerian Sahara, due to its valuable and precious touristic features. Virtually, however, the major touristic activities and tasks, in this city, are still far from reaching the level expected.  In this respect, this study is an attempt to cast light on some of the helpful strategies that enable Bani Abbas to be a really charming touristic place

The ins and outs of Greek unemployment in the Great Depression

We investigate the unemployment inflows and outflows using micro-data from the Greek Labour Force Survey (1998-2013). Focusing on the post-2008 recessionary period, aggregate unemployment decompositions show that both, inflow and outflow rates affect unemployment variations. In particular, early in the recession the inflow rate dominates while later the outflow rate takes over. These findings remain unaltered when unemployment persistence and low transition rates are taken into account. Furthermore, applying multinomial regression techniques we find that the ins and outs of unemployment vary with individual-specific heterogeneity (gender, age, education, etc.). This heterogeneity however exhibits a differentiated impact in the pre- and post-2008 periods. Overall, the design of an effective employment policy in Greece needs to take into consideration the exceptionally low job finding rate (10%) and its composition in the ongoing labour market crisis

The determinants of body mass in Greece: Evidence from the National Health Survey

In this study we explore the determinants of body-weight in Greece utilizing information at the individual level from the National Health Survey of 2009. BMI has been treated as both, a cardinal and an ordinal measure of body-weight, while different estimation techniques were applied (OLS, ordered probit and unconditional quantile regression). In our attempt to identify the major determinants of BMI outcomes in Greece we employed a wide range of demographic, socio-economic, lifestyle, health-related and regional characteristics. The unconditional quantile estimates uncovered differences in the estimated impact of several correlates across the BMI distribution, highlighting their superiority vis-a-vis the simple mean-based linear models of BMI. Examining the entire BMI distribution and targeting specific segments of the Greek population can render public health policies against obesity more efficient and prolific

The ins and outs of Greek unemployment in the Great Depression

We investigate the unemployment inflows and outflows using micro-data from the Greek Labour Force Survey (1998-2013). Focusing on the post-2008 recessionary period, aggregate unemployment decompositions show that both, inflow and outflow rates affect unemployment variations. In particular, early in the recession the inflow rate dominates while later the outflow rate takes over. These findings remain unaltered when unemployment persistence and low transition rates are taken into account. Furthermore, applying multinomial regression techniques we find that the ins and outs of unemployment vary with individual-specific heterogeneity (gender, age, education, etc.). This heterogeneity however exhibits a differentiated impact in the pre- and post-2008 periods. Overall, the design of an effective employment policy in Greece needs to take into consideration the exceptionally low job finding rate (10%) and its composition in the ongoing labour market crisis

Electronic and electrocatalytic properties of PbTiO3: unveiling the effect of strain and oxygen vacancy

First-principles calculations based on density-functional theory have been used to investigate the effect of biaxial strain and oxygen vacancy on the electronic, photocatalytic, and electrocatalytic properties of PbTiO3 oxide. Our results show that PbTiO3 has a high exciton binding energy and a band gap that can be easily moderated with different strain regimes. From a reactivity viewpoint, the highly exothermic adsorption of hydrogen atoms in both pristine and strained PbTiO3 structures does not make it a potential electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction. Fortunately, the presence of oxygen vacancies on the PbTiO3 surface induces moderate adsorption energies, making the reduced PbTiO3 suitable for hydrogen evolution reaction processes

Total and cause-specific mortality rates before and during the Greek economic crisis: an interrupted time-series analysis

Background: In recent years, Greece has been in the spotlight as one of the countries hit the hardest by the European financial crisis. Yet evidence on the impact of the crisis on total and cause-specific mortality remains unclear. The paper explores whether the economic crisis has interrupted the level and/or the trend of mortality rates. Methods: We use regional panel data for the period 2001-2013 and adopt an interrupted timeseries approach in order to test for any changes in a series of gender, age and cause-specific mortality trends. Findings: Our results show that overall mortality has continued to decline during the years of the financial crisis but at a slower pace (-0∙13 vs. -0∙065) and the trend difference is statistically significant (0∙062, p<0∙001). The trend difference is more evident for women (0∙087, p<0∙001) than for men (0∙040, p<0∙01). Older age groups have experienced more negative effects than the younger population, who have even seen some improvements in mortality trends. Deaths by diseases of the circulatory system have declined more slowly, while deaths from vehicular accidents have declined faster during the crisis, most prominently among young men. On the other hand, deaths from suicides, diseases of the nervous system and mental disorders have followed a positive upward trend during the crisis. We also find evidence that deaths due to medical errors during treatment have increased considerably during the crisis, affecting mainly older adults. Comparing the expected values of the during-crisis versus extrapolated before-crisis fitted, one estimates an extra 241 deaths per month during the crisis period with the largest contributor being an excess of 153 deaths per month from circulatory causes. Interpretation: The findings suggest that mortality trends have been interrupted during the years of the crisis, but that the changes vary by age, gender and cause of death. The increase of deaths due to medical errors may reflect the effects of quality deterioration during economic recessions