Wroclaw Electronic Works: Wrocławskie Zakłady Elektroniczne „Elwro” 1959–2000

Based on the research potential of the Wrocław higher education center and its achievements in mathematics and automation, Wrocławskie Zakłady Elektroniczne “Elwro” was launched in the capital of Lower Silesia, in the late 1950s. Starting with the production of relatively simple electrotechnical devices, the company transformed in just a few years into a manufacturer of digital machines of its own design, “Odra”. They have found wide application in science, administration, communication and industry − both in Poland and abroad, mainly in the Comecon member states. The 1970s were the period of the peak development of WZE “Elwro”, in which apart from devices of its own design, computers belonging to the so-called Uniform System of Digital Electronic Machines of Comecon countries, were also being produced. The effects of the economic crisis of the 1980s abruptly reduced the orders for computers produced in “Elwro”, and their development and production was slowed down by problems with obtaining materials that were scarce in the country and foreign currency for foreign purchases. The technological distance between the “Elwro” offer and the equipment manufactured in the leading countries of the West was growing. After the start of the system transformation in the country, the management of “Elwro” attempted to carry out radical organizational transformations and grant the company the status of a joint-stock company. However, they were held back for too long by both the lack of government support and the concerns of the works council. Meanwhile, deteriorating economic results forced the management of “Elwro” to reduce employment and sell more and more assets. Ultimately, in 1993, the plants were transformed into a sole-shareholder company of the State Treasury, and then sold to the German concern “Siemens”. For the new owner, the only thing that mattered was the access to the Polish telecommunications market obtained in this way. He did not use the still existing human resources and production potential of “Elwro” and, shortly after the purchase, practically liquidated the company. In 2000, its remains were sold to the American telecommunications company “Teletec Holding”, which changed the name of the company to “Teletec Polska” S.A.

Industry 4.0 and Proactive Works Council Members

Background: Integrating Industry 4.0 technologies in organizations affects employees’ workplaces and working conditions. Works Council members play an essential role in this because as intermediaries of information between employees and management, they increase mutual trust and help introduce changes in the work environment. This article discusses the Works Council members’ autopoietic endowments that are necessary for their proactive activity, which we discuss as building blocks for creating constructive relationships with management and quality energy in an organization. As such, we were interested in examining whether the autopoietic endowments of Works Council members influenced the type of relationship with the Works Council and management, and whether this relationship affected Works Council members’ organizational energy. Methods: A questionnaire was developed, piloted and distributed to Works Council Members, and 220 completed questionnaires were returned. Results: We found that the higher the level of self-awareness, the better the relationship between Works Council members and management. Moreover, poor energy represented poor relationships, and poor relationships signified a higher degree of resigned inertia and corrosive energy. Conclusions: Our research provides managements with insights into the relationship between employees and management, and the quality of their organizational energy.

Technopolitics from Below: A Framework for the Analysis of Digital Politics of Production

This article develops a multi-level framework for the analysis of a bottom-up politics of technology at the workplace. It draws on a multi-case study on algorithmic management of manual labor in manufacturing and delivery platforms in Germany. In researching how workers influenced the use of algorithmic management systems, the concept of technopolitics is developed to refer to three different arenas of negotiation: (1) the arena of regulation, where institutional framings of technologies in production are negotiated, typically between state actors, employers’ associations, and unions. (2) The arena of implementation, where strategies of technology deployment are negotiated—in the German production model typically between management and works council. (3) The arena of appropriation, in which different organizational technocultures offer contesting schemes for the actual use of technology at work. Whereas most recent research on digitalization of work conceptualizes workers as mere objects of digitalization processes, this paper focuses on worker agency as a “technopolitics from below.” It thus demonstrates how workers influence the concrete outcome of digitalization projects.

Works councils and workplace health promotion in Germany

From a theoretical viewpoint, there can be market failures and organizational failures resulting in an underprovision of occupational health and safety. Works councils may help mitigate these failures. Using establishment data from Germany, the empirical analysis in this article confirms that the incidence of a works council is significantly associated with an increased likelihood that the establishment provides more workplace health promotion than required by law. This result also holds in regressions accounting for the possible endogeneity of works council incidence. Furthermore, analysing potentially moderating factors such as collective bargaining coverage, industry, type of ownership, multi-establishment status and product market competition, the article finds a positive association between works councils and workplace health promotion for the various types of establishments examined. Finally, this study goes beyond the mere incidence of workplace health promotion and shows that works councils are positively associated with a series of different measures of workplace health promotion.

Political discontent and labour in a post-growth region: A view from East Germany

The article traces the political economy and labour relations in East Thuringia, a ‘post-growth region’ in East Germany with a structurally weak periphery and a declining populace. We argue that the regional decline results from a process of peripheralization which has led to economic stagnation and a shrinking population, and also has fostered political discontent. By drawing on a regional survey, an intensive case study at a manufacturing site and qualitative interviews with policy makers, managers, works council members and employees, we analyse how peripheralization has impacted labour relations and politics in a shrinking region. We discuss our findings by referring to current political sociology debates on the rise of right-wing populism and the scientific discussion on post-growth, as well as recent approaches of critical geography and development sociology. We show how feelings of injustice such as anger about low wages and the democratic void at work interlink with pessimistic assessments concerning the region’s future and feelings of deprivation. We conclude that the economic model based on labour-intensive exports in the internal periphery of East German capitalism is eroding and is contributing to a crisis of hegemony and political instability.

Datenschutzverstöße des Betriebsrats

The work takes a comprehensive look at the possible liability in the event of data protection violations by the works council or by individual works council members. The question is of considerable importance in practice because works councils have to deal with numerous data in their daily work. In addition, a personal liability of works council members is possible - even in spite of the alleged clarification in the context of § 79a sentence 2 BetrVG. After a fundamental discussion of the question of whether the works council can be the responsible party within the meaning of Article 4 No. 7 of the GDPR, the work deals with the admissibility of Section 79a sentence 2 of the BetrVG under EU law. The author comes to the conclusion that § 79a S. 2 BetrVG is not compatible with the requirements of EU law and may not be applied due to this illegality of EU law. Existing case law is also comprehensively evaluated in the process.Subsequently, all liability facts of the German Civil Code (BGB) as well as of the GDPR are illuminated. Finally, possible liability risks for employers are discussed. Due to numerous practical examples, the work is ideally suited for practitioners.

Erfolg und Scheitern bei Betriebsratsgründungen nach Privatisierungen

When a director's market is transferred to a self-reliant retailer, the parties involved, for example the employer, employees or the union, should consider whether a works council needs to be established. This study examines the exact process of setting up a works council and the factors that contribute to its success or failure. The book’s analysis of the process of successful and failed works council formations focuses firstly on the chronology of triggers, corporative actors and procedures. Secondly, the study concentrates on structures, agents and their interactions, which corresponds back to structuration theory. The author analyses changes in co-determination, which is understood as a social practice, on the basis of five empirically collected cases.

Die Haftung des Betriebsrats und seiner Mitglieder gegenüber Beratern

The legal position of the works council in relation to external consultants has not yet been conclusively clarified. Based on an examination of the legal and financial capacity of the works council, the work provides a comprehensive overview of the liability for fee claims of works council consultants. The author argues for the liability of the works council chairperson under sec. 179 BGB analogously. Concerns regarding the legal framework of work council’s members’ activities must be resolved where they arise. She argues for the creation of a submission competence of the works council chairman de lege ferenda.

Politische Betätigung im Betrieb

Political statements by the works council are often a sensitive issue for companies - all the more so since right-wing lists have been on the rise in recent times. The Works Council Constitution Act (BetrVG) of 1952 already contained a ban on (party) political activity, which has since been amended several times and interpreted differently. By means of an analysis of the basic powers of the works councils as well as an interpretation of the of the law, the author shows that the workplace must be neither a politics-free zone nor a playground for agitators. Ultimately, the works council has a company-related mandate, while the employer is only affected by the ban in its specific role under works constitution law.

Implementierung elektronischer Überwachungseinrichtungen durch Betriebsvereinbarungen vor dem Hintergrund der DSGVO

As digitalization progresses, the possibilities for monitoring and surveillance in the employment relationship also increase. With the entry into force of the GDPR at the latest, the discussions about an "Employee Data Protection Act" (Beschäftigtendatenschutzgesetz) reignited. The thesis examines - de lege lata - the interaction of European and national requirements in the introduction of electronic surveillance / monitoring equipment in companies. On this basis, current challenges and the corresponding solutions are shown. At the same time, the special role of the business parties (such as works council and personnel department) in the area of data protection is presented. Finally, the question of whether an employee data protection law - de lege ferenda - can provide more legal certainty is being investigated.