Introduction

Abstract

European labour markets are in a process of profound change. The decades following World War II witnessed the institutionalization of ‘secure’ employment. Against the background of high growth rates, labour market regulation and welfare states were expanded so that the risk of unemployment became less salient to a majority of workers. Stable careers, often within only one firm, became a social norm that governments and employers were expected to implement. At the core of political attempts to secure long-term employment was the establishment of rules restricting the managerial prerogative to dismiss workers at will. This was achieved either through individual labour law, for instance by restricting circumstances under which dismissals are allowed, or by granting representatives of the workforce a say in firms’ staffing policies.