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Revaluation of Essential Work: The Example of Elderly Care in Germany

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  • Gerhard Bosch
  • Michaela Evans‐Borchers

Abstract

This article is about how labour in a sector can be upgraded through new labour market institutions by mobilizing political support across political camps, even if collective bargaining power through strong trade unions and employers' associations is insufficient. The article summarizes the results of several empirical research projects by the two authors on elderly care, in which the key players in the sector were interviewed. Institutional erosion in labour relations, with its particularly dynamic ‘force field’, is a key topic of recent institutional theories. In contrast, the analysis of the revitalization of successful institutional innovations for the upgrading of work plays a subordinate role. The field of elderly care in Germany is an example of the successful upgrading of key workers in this market‐oriented sector through a deliberate institutional change in the German industrial relations system.

Suggested Citation

  • Gerhard Bosch & Michaela Evans‐Borchers, 2026. "Revaluation of Essential Work: The Example of Elderly Care in Germany," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(1), pages 47-58, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:indrel:v:57:y:2026:i:1:p:47-58
    DOI: 10.1111/irj.70013
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gerhard Bosch, 2018. "The making of the German minimum wage: a case study of institutional change," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(1), pages 19-33, January.
    2. Schroeder, Wolfgang, 2017. "Altenpflege zwischen Staatsorientierung, Markt und Selbstorganisation," WSI-Mitteilungen, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 70(3), pages 189-196.
    3. Evans, Michaela & Ludwig, Christine & Kobus, Julia, 2023. "Der lange Weg zur Aufwertung der Altenpflege: Was lässt sich aus der Geschichte lernen?," Working Paper Forschungsförderung 290, Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Düsseldorf.
    4. Christian Lévesque & Gregor Murray, 2010. "Understanding union power: resources and capabilities for renewing union capacity," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 16(3), pages 333-350, August.
    5. Schönfeld, Gudrun & Wenzelmann, Felix, 2024. "Tarifliche Ausbildungsvergütungen 2023: Anstieg erneut unterhalb der Inflationsrate," BIBB Fachbeiträge zur beruflichen Bildung 281372, Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB).
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