Decision‐taking on human resource issues: Practices in building and civil engineering companies in Europe and their industrial relations consequences

The article examines decision‐taking in European construction companies. It confirms the increasing importance of MNEs in the industry. The extent to which corporate decision‐taking on human resource matters in construction MNEs is distinctive and is examined. Construction MNEs show an increased use of certain types of flexible working. It is shown that this is in turn linked to decreased union influence, even in some countries with strong regulatory regimes. The argument’s implication is that the emergence of a new order in the industry poses a substantial threat to construction unions. This may in the long term endanger unions’ legitimacy within the European model of co‐operation between management and employee representatives.