scholarly journals Institutional Transfer: Industrial Relations in Eastern Germany

1996 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 601-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Hyman
Keyword(s):  
Trade Unions ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Dual System ◽  
Cultural Inheritance ◽  
Works Councils ◽  
Eastern Germany ◽  
Interest Representation ◽  
Formal Identity ◽  
Western Germany ◽  
Close Integration

Can industrial relations be successfully transferred between countries? This paper reviews experience in eastern Germany since unification in 1990. The evidence is that the close integration in western Germany between the two elements of the `dual system' of interest representation - trade unions and works councils - has not been replicated in the east. Hence the formal identity of institutions does not prevent substantial differences in their functioning. This may be explained both in terms of the adverse economic circumstances in the east since unification, and of the distinctive socio-cultural inheritance of the former system.

Interest representation and industrial relations in the age of digitalization ‒ an outline

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (3-2020) ◽  
pp. 255-285
Author(s):  
Berndt Keller
Keyword(s):  
Labor Markets ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Dual System ◽  
Employment Relations ◽  
Works Councils ◽  
Interest Representation ◽  
The Third ◽  
Platform Economy

The article deals in an interdisciplinary perspective with the consequences of progressive digitalization processes which are controversially discussed in the current discourse for the dual system of employment relations. After initial comments, the first part deals with the changing contours of forms of interest representation in the existing economy, i. e. requirements and options for works councils and trade unions. The second part focuses explicitly on the platform economy and its emerging forms of corporate actors, trade unions and works councils as well as platform operators/employers. The third part concentrates on perspectives of employment relations for the established economy as well as for platform work. The fourth part elaborates on measures of regulation that should be taken at company and sectoral level. A short outlook concludes the article. Processes of digital transformation have the tendency to weaken the existing institutions of labor markets, in particular forms of employees’ representation.

scholarly journals United, Yet Apart? A Note on Persistent Labour Market Differences between Western and Eastern Germany

2016 ◽  
Vol 236 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claus Schnabel
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Labour Supply ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Labour Markets ◽  
Labour Demand ◽  
Works Councils ◽  
Eastern Germany ◽  
Western Germany

AbstractComparing aggregate statistics and surveying selected empirical studies, this paper shows that the characteristics and results of labour markets in eastern and western Germany have become quite similar in some respects but still differ markedly in others even 25 years after unification. Whereas no substantial differences can be detected in firms’ labour demand decisions and in employees’ representation via works councils or trade unions, both parts of the country are somewhat apart concerning labour supply behaviour, labour productivity, wages, and bargaining coverage, and they still exhibit substantially different rates of unemployment. These differences may reflect observable and unobservable characteristics of economic actors as well as differences in behaviour, norms, and individuals’ attitudes.

Laboratories of the new Europe: trade unions, employee interest representation and participation in foreign investment enterprises in central and eastern Europe

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-591
Author(s):  
Eckhard Voss
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Shop Floor ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
New Member States ◽  
Interest Representation ◽  
Trade Unionism ◽  
Foreign Investment Enterprises

This article examines a number of aspects of the industrial relations practices of foreign investors in central and eastern Europe, focusing on trade union structures, employee interest representation, and consultation and social dialogue at the company level. Based on evidence from selected companies in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, the paper argues that the experiences of multinational companies with regard to employee interest representation and shop-floor trade unionism should be regarded as ‘laboratories of learning processes' which are not only having an impact on the ongoing transformation of industrial relations and corporate cultures in the new Member States but also on the whole of Europe, most notably the future shape of institutionalised employee participation.

Workers' representation at company level in CEE countries

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslav Stanojevic ◽  
Grigor Gradev
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Research ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Collective Identities ◽  
Works Councils ◽  
Collective Interest ◽  
Social Dialogue ◽  
Interest Representation ◽  
Workplace Relations ◽  
The Social

Current workplace relations in central and eastern European candidate countries are strongly influenced by the legacy of fragmented workers’ interests and at best undeveloped semi-autonomous forms of collective interest representation. In addition, most trade unions have been unable to develop adequate strategies to cope with the pressures of radical marketisation and to forge collective identities. In this environment the mechanical implementation of social dialogue institutions could trigger opposition from the trade unions, conflicts between unions and works councils in companies where autonomous trade unions exist, and even serious damage to the unions. The social dialogue institutions will only have the desired effects in CEE companies if they are developed on the basis of trade unions that have been strengthened, or even, in the case of non-unionised companies, created. This article draws on empirical research into the operation of trade unions and works councils in the CEE countries, in particular Hungary and Slovenia.

The failure of a new form of employee representation: Polish works councils in comparative perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Skorupińska
Keyword(s):  
Trade Unions ◽  
Channel Model ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Consultation Process ◽  
Works Councils ◽  
Employee Representation ◽  
Dual Channel ◽  
New Form ◽  
The Relationship

Works councils were introduced in Poland in 2006, changing the system of employee representation from a single-channel model to a dual-channel model. However, they have not succeeded in promoting social dialogue and creating a strong institution for employee participation. I draw on a quantitative study to analyse why their role in Polish industrial relations is so marginal. I focus on the relationship between trade unions and the new ‘democratic’ councils and information and consultation process itself.

scholarly journals Convergence and Disparities in European Industrial Relations

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 127-146
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Skorupińska
Keyword(s):  
Trade Unions ◽  
Final Section ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Union Density ◽  
Works Councils ◽  
Employee Representation ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
A Company ◽  
The Eu

The aim of the article is to present the areas of the greatest convergence and disparities in industrial relations in the EU. This paper also aims to identify the causes of such situations and to determine the influence of the economic crisis on the shape of these relations and the attempt to achieve convergence. The study is composed of an introduction, three main sections and a conclusion. Following the introduction, the section 2 discusses the evolutionary process of European industrial relations and social dialogue. The next section is devoted to employee participation in the management of a company, the area of greatest convergence in industrial relations. Special emphasis is placed on the dual system of employee representation (trade unions and works councils), and in particular on the European Works Councils. The final section examines the greatest disparities between the old and new EU member states with reference to trade union density, range, and the level of collective bargaining. This is followed by a summary of conclusions.

Transformation, EU Membership and Labour Relations in Central Eastern Europe: Poland — Czech Republic — Hungary — Slovenia

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heribert Kohl ◽  
Wolfgang Lecher ◽  
Hans-Wolfgang Platzer
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Works Councils ◽  
East European ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Central Eastern Europe ◽  
Interest Representation ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
Enterprise Level

The article starts by emphasising the differences between the Central and East European countries in terms of their labour relations traditions, providing a brief characterisation for four CEECs, with Slovenia identified as the country in which the participatory tradition is strongest. Subsequent sections identify similarities and differences in terms of collective labour law and labour relations at enterprise and supra-enterprise level. At enterprise level the article provides examples of co-operative relations between trade unions and works councils (Slovenia), a dual system of interest representation imposed by government without trade union support (Hungary), political duplication of representation structures (Poland), and the tendency to retain former representation structures (Czech Republic). Similar differences emerge with respect to tripartism, which remains underdeveloped in all countries, again with the exception of Slovenia. The relative weakness of the social partners, and in particular their fragmentation, are shown to be a problem for the candidate countries on their path towards EU accession. Here the European social partners, in particular the ETUC and UNICE, and also European works councils in firms with subsidiaries in eastern Europe should do more to promote social dialogue in the CEECs.

Towards a Europeanization of indirect employee participation: Polish experiences

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Skorupińska
Keyword(s):  
Trade Unions ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Employee Participation ◽  
Works Councils ◽  
Participatory Institutions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
New Institutions

This article reports the difficult path of developing works councils as new institutions of employee participation in Polish industrial relations and the atmosphere among the social partners surrounding this process. Analysis shows that the Europeanization of legislation on indirect employee participation does not always translate into effective functioning of participatory institutions in practice. Despite the fact that the initially reluctant attitude of trade unions and employers towards works councils has become more positive in Poland, the role of these institutions in Polish industrial relations remains negligible. The amendment to the Act on Informing and Consulting Employees of 2009 has led to a reduction in the already small presence of works councils in Polish enterprises to a marginal level of about 2%.

European and international framework agreements: new tools of transnational industrial relations

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 505-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Volker Telljohann ◽  
Isabel Da Costa ◽  
Torsten Müller ◽  
Udo Rehfeldt ◽  
Reingard Zimmer
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Social Regulation ◽  
European Level ◽  
Works Councils ◽  
Transnational Companies

In recent years transnational framework agreements (TFAs) at global and European level have emerged as a new tool of regulation within transnational companies. Based on an outline of the origins of TFAs, a quantitative overview of TFAs and an analysis of the strategies pursued by global and European union federations in concluding TFAs, this article discusses whether and how these new tools advance the internationalisation of industrial relations. The article concludes that a whole range of sector- and company-specific conditions must exist for a TFA to be signed. Where they exist, TFAs give global and European union federations as well as European Works Councils a recognised place in the area of global social regulation, and there are cases in which they have successfully been used to solve local conflicts. Research carried out by the authors suggests that TFAs, if used strategically, have the potential to contribute to the development of international industrial relations at company level and even, in the long term, to facilitate the trade unions’ organising activities. However, because of the small number of TFAs, currently fewer than 150, their contribution to the internationalisation of industrial relations has so far remained limited.

scholarly journals Workplace trade union engagement with European Works Councils and transnational agreements: The case of Volkswagen Europe

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 397-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Whittall ◽  
Miguel Martínez Lucio ◽  
Stephen Mustchin ◽  
Volker Telljohann ◽  
Fernando Rocha Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Trade Union ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Works Councils ◽  
Social Dialogue ◽  
Cross National

This article examines two transnational agreements signed by the Volkswagen European and Global Works Councils, considering their interlinked implementation within subsidiaries in Britain, Italy, Spain and Germany. We demonstrate differing stances and some uncertainty towards principles of co-management, social dialogue and codetermination. These agreements have improved local industrial relations and strengthened cross-national interaction between employee representatives, despite significant differences in orientation regarding how unions should engage with management. However, the emerging international framework has not led to a clear politics of incorporation, with local trade unions being well aware of the risks of co-management and a more business-oriented relationship.

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