Stellenwert der Allgemeinverbindlicherklärung für die Tarifvertragssysteme in Europa

In most European countries the state has the possibility to declare collective agreements generally binding in order to extend cover to non-organised employers in a certain sector. The article gives an overview on the existence and use of extension mechanisms and analyses their meaning for the collective bargaining systems in Europe. It thereby becomes clear that in most countries the use of extension or other functional equivalents is a precondition for high and stable collective bargaining coverage. Against that background it is more than problematic that under the conditions of the current crisis the use of extension mechanisms is under pressure in many European countries.