Tarifverträge – nein danke!? Ausmaß und Einflussfaktoren der Tarifbindung west- und ostdeutscher Betriebe / Collective Agreements - No Thanks!? Extent and Determinants of Firms’ Bargaining Coverage in Western and Eastern Germany

An empirical analysis with representative data from the IAB establishment panel shows that in 2000 just one out of two establishments in western Germany and only one out of four establishments in eastern Germany were covered by industry-wide or firm-specific collective agreements. Industry-wide coverage rates have fallen in recent years. Theoretical explanations point, inter alia, to transaction cost considerations and to micro- and macroeconomic changes. Econometricanalyses indicate that the probability of being bound by a collective agreement rises with establishment size and with the share of qualified employees. Branch plants are more likely, family-name firms and newly founded firms are less likely to be bound by such agreements. Larger establishments, branch plants and establishments with works councils are also less likely to withdraw from industry-wide agreements.