Abstract
The shift from state to occupational pension plans has raised concerns among scholars because occupational plans tend to lack the redistributive elements found in state plans. This disadvantages workers with interrupted careers and low pay, who are usually women. However, occupational pensions also enable trade unions, including unionised women, to exert influence. Using Norway as a case study, we investigate how male- and female-dominated unions shape pension policy. We argue that the structure of wage bargaining and the potential for coalitions between male-dominated unions and employers have sidelined female-dominated unions and privileged fully individualised occupational pension models.
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Anne Skevik Grødem and Ines Wagner
Gender and power in occupational pensions: Trade union strategies and institutional constraints
Economic and Industrial Democracy, 2026