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Europaeische Vereinbarungspolitik auf Unternehmensebene. Entwicklungsdynamiken und Prozessmuster im Metallsektor (Bargaining at European Company Level. The Development of a New Order of Company-level Industrial Relations in the Metal Sector)

Author

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  • Rueb, Stefan
  • Platzer, Hans-Wolfgang
  • Mueller, Torsten

Abstract

– Seit 2000 ist eine kontinuierliche Zunahme europaeischer Unternehmensverhandlungen und -vereinbarungen zu Themen wie Chancengleichheit, Arbeitssicherheit, Umgang mit Unternehmensrestrukturierungen oder Gewinnbeteiligungen zu beobachten. Damit ist – so die Ausgangsthese dieses Beitrags – eine neue Entwicklungsphase europaeischer Unternehmensarbeitsbeziehungen eroeffnet. Eine einheitliche Vereinbarungsordnung hat sich angesichts der voluntaristischen Aushandlungsbedingungen dabei bislang nicht herausgebildet. Dies gilt insbesondere auch hinsichtlich der Rollenteilung zwischen Europaeischen Betriebsraeten (EBR) und Gewerkschaften, einer politisch strittigen Frage, die im Zentrum des Beitrags steht. Die empirischen Befunde zeigen, dass sich im untersuchten Metallsektor mit EBR-zentrierten und gewerkschaftszentrierten Verhandlungen zwei Prozessmuster gegenueberstehen, die wiederum auf Stammlandeffekte und nationale Arbeitsbeziehungstraditionen zurueckzufuehren sind. Dabei ist auch im Fall EBR-zentrierter Verhandlungen eine bewusste Abkopplung der europaeischen Unternehmensverhandlungen von gewerkschaftlichem Einfluss bislang nicht zu beobachten. (Since the early 2000s, the number of negotiations and agreements at European company level on issues such as transnational restructuring, health and safety policies, profit sharing and equal opportunities has increased steadily. The central starting point of this article is that European company-level industrial relations have thus entered into a new phase. Given the voluntaristic bargaining conditions at European company level, a uniform order of negotiations has not yet emerged. This applies in particular to the division of labour between European Works Councils (EWCs) and trade unions – a contentious question which is at the core of this contribution. The empirical evidence collected in the metal sector shows that two basic bargaining patterns can be observed: an EWC-centred approach and a trade union-centred bargaining approach, both of which are based on country-of-origin effects and national industrial relations traditions. However, even in the case of EWC-centred negotiations, a deliberate decoupling of European company-level bargaining from trade union influence has so far not be observed.)

Suggested Citation

  • Rueb, Stefan & Platzer, Hans-Wolfgang & Mueller, Torsten, 2013. "Europaeische Vereinbarungspolitik auf Unternehmensebene. Entwicklungsdynamiken und Prozessmuster im Metallsektor (Bargaining at European Company Level. The Development of a New Order of Company-level ," Industrielle Beziehungen - Zeitschrift fuer Arbeit, Organisation und Management - The German Journal of Industrial Relations, Rainer Hampp Verlag, vol. 20(3), pages 221-244.
  • Handle: RePEc:rai:indbez:doi_10.1688/1862-0035_indb_2013_03_rueb
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    Keywords

    European industrial relations; European company bargaining; transnational company agreements; European Works Councils;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects
    • J52 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Dispute Resolution: Strikes, Arbitration, and Mediation
    • J53 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Labor-Management Relations; Industrial Jurisprudence

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