Zwischen Tarifakzeptanz und Tarifkritik

The continuous decline in collective bargaining coverage over almost three decades makes it difficult to reach any other conclusion: The German collective bargaining system is in crisis. Fewer and fewer companies and employees are still bound by the standards of collective agreements. This development is usually explained by structural factors such as the structure of company size or the value chains of an industry. However, the picture that this paints is not complete. Stronger consideration must be given to the actions of employers’ associations as a result of their views of the collective bargaining system and the collective bargaining strategies that are derived from it. These views and strategies not only frame the collective action of the associations, but also influence the development of collective bargaining coverage because they create and legitimise options for the action of companies. The author examines this connection on the basis of an internet search of current federation websites. It is shown that the differences in the development of collective agreements between and within sectors have a lot to do with the strategies of the employers’ associations.