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Trade union responses to precarious employment in Germany

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  • Bispinck, Reinhard
  • Schulten, Thorsten

Abstract

Since the mid-1980s Germany saw a continuing increase of precarious employment which now amounts to about one third of the total labour force. Considering the negative social side-effects of this development, the voices which call for a re-regulation of the labour market have become more prominent in recent years. The study analyses strategic responses of German trade unions to the increase of precarious employment. Hereby, it distinguishes between four different approaches: First, unions can demand and lobby for changes in legislation in order to limit, prevent or even forbid certain forms of precarious employment. Secondly, the unions can conclude collective agreements to improve the conditions of precarious employment and to limit its use at sectoral or company level. Thirdly, union can develop practical help and assistance to precarious workers and recruit them as union members. Finally, the unions can promote their own vision of good work as a counter model against precarious employment.After a general overview on the different union strategies the study presents details in four case-studies of how the unions act in the following areas: - low wages - temporary agency work - dependent self-employed workers - apprentices - The study is part of a European project Bargaining for Social Rights (BARSORI) which is financed by the European Commission (Agreement Ref. VS/2010/0811).

Suggested Citation

  • Bispinck, Reinhard & Schulten, Thorsten, 2011. "Trade union responses to precarious employment in Germany," WSI Working Papers 178, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:wsidps:178
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Bispinck, Reinhard, 2011. "Tarifliche Vergütungsgruppen im Niedriglohnbereich 2011: Eine Untersuchung in 41 Wirtschaftszweigen," Analysen zur Tarifpolitik 72, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    4. Michael Ziegelmeyer, 2010. "Das Altersvorsorge-Verhalten von Selbständigen - eine Analyse auf Basis der SAVE-Daten," Schmollers Jahrbuch : Journal of Applied Social Science Studies / Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 130(2), pages 195-240.
    5. Bispinck, Reinhard & Dribbusch, Heiner & Schulten, Thorsten, 2010. "German collective bargaining in a European perspective: Continuous erosion or re-stabilisation of multi-employer agreements?," WSI Working Papers 171, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    6. Biebeler, Hendrik & Lesch, Hagen, 2006. "Mitgliederstruktur der Gewerkschaften in Deutschland," IW-Trends – Vierteljahresschrift zur empirischen Wirtschaftsforschung, Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW) / German Economic Institute, vol. 33(4), pages 45-58.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gerber, Christine, 2014. "Trade union responses towards labour market dualization comparing the impact of the varieties of industrial relations in Germany, Slovenia and Poland," PIPE - Papers on International Political Economy 23/2014, Free University Berlin, Center for International Political Economy.
    2. Lott, Yvonne, 2014. "Working time autonomy and time adequacy: What if performance is all that counts?," WSI Working Papers 188, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    3. Keller, Berndt & Seifert, Hartmut, 2015. "Atypical forms of employment in the public sector: Are there any?," WSI Working Papers 199, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    4. Kathmann, Till, 2021. "Gewerkschaftliche Strategien im Niedriglohnsektor: Eine Analyse ihrer Herausforderungen und Gelingensbedingungen," Reihe Arbeit und Wirtschaft in Bremen 33, Institut Arbeit und Wirtschaft (IAW), Universität Bremen und Arbeit­nehmer­kammer Bremen.
    5. Sarrah Kassem, 2022. "(Re)shaping Amazon labour struggles on both sides of the Atlantic: the power dynamics in Germany and the US amidst the pandemic," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 28(4), pages 441-456, November.
    6. Tangian, Andranik, 2012. "Statistical test for the mathematical theory of democracy," WSI Working Papers 179, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    7. Lott, Yvonne, 2015. "Costs and benefits of flexibility and autonomy in working time: The same for women and men?," WSI Working Papers 196, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    8. Tangian, Andranik S., 2015. "Is the left-right alignment of parties outdated?," WSI Working Papers 198, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    9. Trine P Larsen & Mikkel Mailand & Thorsten Schulten, 2022. "Good intentions meet harsh realities: Social dialogue and precarious work in industrial cleaning," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 43(1), pages 7-31, February.
    10. Bispinck, Reinhard & Schulten, Thorsten, 2014. "Wages, collective bargaining and economic development in Germany: Towards a more expansive and solidaristic development?," WSI Working Papers 191, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    11. Thomas Haipeter, 2016. "The interests of white-collar workers and their representation in the German manufacturing sector: new initiatives, opportunity structures, framing and resources," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(4), pages 304-321, July.

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