Labor Governance and Economic Reform in the Middle East and North Africa: Lessons from Nordic Countries

The greater emphasis on governance issues in economic reform programmes of Middle East and North African (MENA) countries has given inadequate attention to labor governance. This paper draws on the experience of Nordic countries to review the role of labor governance institutions, tripartism, and collective bargaining in the MENA region. The issues it addresses include labor flexibility, social protection, public sector employment, and minimum wages. This comparative overview identifies directions for future research on multiple dimensions of the link between labor governance and economic reform.