Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Civil aviation – Germany
The aim of this representativeness study is to identify the respective national and supranational actors (i.e. trade unions and employer organisations) in the field of industrial relations in the civil aviation industry in Germany. In order to determine their relative importance in the sector’s industrial relations, this study will, in particular, focus on their representational quality as well as on their role in collective bargaining.
1. Sectoral properties
The civil aviation sector is highly fragmented in Germany, with about 74,000 employees working in civil aviation in 2006. However, with the privatisation and liberalisation of the sector the importance of multi-employer bargaining has diminished. In fact, there is only one package of multi-employer agreements left. The majority of companies in the industry conclude single-employer agreements, as it is the case for Lufthansa who concluded agreements with the United Services Union (Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft, ver.di) and the Cockpit Association (Vereiniging Cockpit, VC).
As regards the sector of economic activity under examination – civil aviation – the data shown in the table below refer to the General industrial classification of economic activities within the European Communities (Nomenclature générale des activités économiques dans les Communautés européennes, NACE) 62.1, 62.2 and 63.23.
| Sectors | 1999 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of employers | 62.1, 62.2, 62.23 | n.a. | 1170* |
| Aggregate employment** | 62.1 | 72,000 | 74,000 |
| 62.2 | n.a. | 9,000 | |
| 63.23 | n.a. | n.a. | |
| Male employment** | 62.1 | 42,000 | 46,000 |
| 62.2 | n.a. | 6,000 | |
| 63.23 | n.a. | n.a. | |
| Female employment** | 62.1 | 30,000 | 28,000 |
| 62.2 | n.a. | 3,000 | |
| 63.23 | n.a. | n.a. | |
| Aggregate employees*** | 62.1 | 27,046 | 30,071 |
| 62.2 | 1,114 | 1,605 | |
| 63.23 | n.a. | n.a. | |
| Male employees*** | 62.1 | 12,574 | 14,252 |
| 62.2 | 668 | 914 | |
| 63.23 | n.a. | n.a. | |
| Female employees*** | 62.1 | 14,472 | 15,819 |
| 62.2 | 476 | 691 | |
| 63.23 | n.a. | n.a. | |
| Aggregate sectoral employment as % of total employment in economy | n.a. | n.a. | |
| Aggregate sectoral employees as % of the total number of employees in economy | n.a. | n.a. |
* Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt, destatis), Company register (Unternehmensregister); figures include companies as well as establishments. Data refer to reporting year 2005.
** destatis.
*** Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA). Data only refer to employees liable for social security contribution. Data presented, refer to the reporting dates 30 June 1999 and 2006, respectively.
2. The sector’s trade unions and employer associations
This section includes the following trade unions and employer organisations:
1. trade unions which are party to sector-related collective bargaining;
2. trade unions which are a member of the sector-related European Union Federations, namely the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) – Civil Aviation Section, the European Cockpit Association (ECA) and the Air Traffic Controllers European Unions Coordination (ATCEUC);
3. employer organisations which are a party to sector-related collective bargaining
4. employer organisations or business associations which are a member of the sector-related European business federations, namely the Association of European Airlines (AEA), the European Regions Airline Association (ERA), the International Air Carrier Association (IACA), the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), the Airports Council International – European Region (ACI-Europe), the International Aviation Handlers’ Association (IAHA), European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA).
2a Data on the trade unions
2a.1 Type of membership (voluntary vs. compulsory)
For all trade unions in the sector, membership is voluntary.
Trade unions in the sector include:
- ver.di;
- VC;
- Trade Union of Flight Security Workers (Gewerkschaft der Flugsicherung, GdF);
- dbb tarifunion – a collective bargaining agent representing 39 trade unions affiliated to the German Civil Service Association (Deutscher Beamtenbund, dbb). In civil aviation, it bargains on behalf of the Trade Union for the Municipal and Federal Service (Gewerkschaft für den Kommunal- und Landesdienst, komba Gewerkschaft);
- Independent Trade Union for Cabin Crew (Unabhängige Flugbegleiter Organisation, UFO).
2a.2 Formal demarcation of membership domain (e.g. blue-collar workers, private-sector workers, board staff, etc.)
ver.di and komba Gewerkschaft are open to all workers in the sector. VC organises cockpit staff, notably pilots and flight engineers, while GdF organises employees in all organisations related to air-traffic controlling.
2a.3 Number of union members (i.e. the total number of members of the union as a whole)
ver.di: about 2,205,145 members in 2007, according to the trade union.
dbb Tarifunion: about 360,000 members of its affiliated trade unions, according to dbb websites.
komba Gewerkschaft: about 70,000 members, according to dbb websites.
VC: about 8,200 members, according to the publisher OECKL.
GdF: about 3,000 members, according to the trade union.
UFO: about 8,700 members, according to the publisher OECKL.
2a.4 Number of union members in the sector
ver.di: no detailed membership data available.
VC: 8,200 members.
Gdf: about 3,000 members.
komba Gewerkschaft: no detailed data available.
UFO: about 8,700.
2a.5 Female union members as a percentage of total union membership
There are no data available for ver.di, komba Gewerkschaft, VC and UFO.
GdF: 19.07%.
2a.6 Domain density: total number of members of the union in relation to the number of potential members as demarcated by the union domain (see 2a.2)
There are no data available for ver.di, komba Gewerkschaft, VC, GdF and UFO.
2a.7 Sectoral density: total number of members of the union in the sector in relation to the number of employees in the sector, as demarcated by the NACE definition
As it was impossible to assess the total employment figure for the sector as demarcated by the NACE definition, no sectoral density could be calculated.
2a.8 Sectoral domain density: total number of members of the union in the sector in relation to the number of employees which work in that part of the sector as covered by the union domain
There are no data available for ver.di, komba Gewerkschaft, VC and UFO.
According to estimates by GdF, its density is between 50% and 95% depending on the subsector concerned.
2a.9 Does the union conclude collective agreements?
ver.di, dbb tarifunion, VC, GdF and UFO all conclude collective agreements.
2a.10 For each association, list their affiliation to higher-level national, European and international interest associations (including cross-sectoral associations)
ver.di is affiliated to the Confederation of German Trade Unions (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, DGB) at national level. Internationally, ver.di is affiliated to ETF and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
VC is affiliated to ECA.
GdF is affiliated to ATCEUC.
komba Gewerkschaft is affiliated to dbb at national level. Internationally, komba Gewerkschaft is a member of the European Network of Independent Unions of Local Authority Staffs EULOS.
For UFO, no affiliation is known.
2b Data on the employer associations
The only employer organisation operating in the civil aviation industry is the Confederation of Municipal Employers’ Associations (Vereinigung der kommunalen Arbeitgeberverbände, VKA). Airports can apply for a membership with VKA member organisations, that is, at local or municipal level.
2b.1 Type of membership (voluntary vs. compulsory)
Membership is voluntary.
2b.2 Formal demarcation of membership domain (e.g. SMEs, small-scale crafts/industry, civil aviation enterprises, etc.)
Public employees at airports in public ownership, as well as employees of the privatised Frankfurt City Airport operator Fraport AG, are represented by VKA members.
2b.3 Number of member companies (i.e. the total number of members of the association as a whole)
VKA comprises 16 members, that is, regional associations.
2b.4 Number of member companies in the sector
VKA: not available.
2b.5 Number of employees working in member companies (i.e. the total number of the association as a whole)
VKA members employ a total of about two million employees across all sectors.
2b.6 Number of employees working in member companies in the sector
VKA: not available.
2b.7 Domain density in terms of companies: total number of member companies of the association in relation to the number of potential member companies as demarcated by the association’s domain (see 2b.2)
VKA: not available.
2b.8 Sectoral density in terms of companies: total number of member companies of the association in the sector in relation to the number of companies in the sector, as demarcated by the NACE definition
VKA: not available.
2b.9 Sectoral domain density in terms of companies: total number of member companies of the association in the sector in relation to the number of companies which operate in that part of the sector as covered by the association’s domain
VKA: not available.
2b.10 Domain density in terms of employees represented: total number of employees working in the association’s member companies in relation to the number of employees working in potential member companies, as demarcated by the association’s domain (see 2b.2)
VKA: not available.
2b.11 Sectoral density in terms of employees represented: total number of employees working in the association’s member companies in the sector in relation to the number of employees in the sector, as demarcated by the NACE definition
VKA: not available.
2b.12 Sectoral domain density in terms of employees represented: total number of employees working in the association’s member companies in the sector in relation to the number of employees working in companies which operate in that part of the sector as covered by the association’s domain
VKA: not available.
2b.13 Does the employer association conclude collective agreements?
VKA as well as its members conclude collective agreements.
2b.14 For each association, list their affiliation to higher-level national, European and international interest associations (including the cross-sectoral associations).
VKA is a member of European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP).
3. Inter-associational relationships
3.1. Trade unions covered by this study whose domains overlap.
The domain of the following trade unions overlap: ver.di, GdF, VC, UFO and komba Gewerkschaft.
3.2. Do rivalries and competition exist among the trade unions, concerning the right to conclude collective agreements and to be consulted in public policy formulation and implementation?
No.
3.3. If yes, are certain trade unions excluded from these rights?
No.
3.4. Same question for employer associations as 3.1.
There is no overlapping.
3.5. Same question for employer associations as 3.2.
No.
3.6. Same question for employer associations as 3.3.
No.
3.7. Are there large companies or employer associations which refuse to recognise the trade unions and refuse to enter collective bargaining?
The Irish low-cost airline Ryanair does not recognise trade unions, nor does the company enter collective bargaining.
4. The system of collective bargaining
4.1. Estimate the sector’s rate of collective bargaining coverage (i.e. the ratio of the number of employees covered by any kind of collective agreement to the total number of employees in the sector).
There are no data available on bargaining coverage, thus a precise estimation is impossible.
4.2. Estimate the relative importance of multi-employer agreements and of single-employer agreements as a percentage of the total number of employees covered
With the privatisation and liberalisation of the sector, the importance of multi-employer bargaining has diminished. In fact, only one package of multi-employer agreements remains – the so-called Collective Agreement for Airports (Tarifvertrag für die Sparte Flughäfen, TV-F). The agreement comprises the provisions of the Public Sector Collective Agreement (Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst, TVöD) and the specific section on airports (Besonderer Teil Flughäfen, BT-F) (see also 4.3). It covers the remaining public employees at airports in local public ownership.
In terms of the number of collective agreements, the majority of agreements are single-employer agreements with companies in the sector such as service providers or airlines.
4.2.1. Is there a practice of extending multi-employer agreements to employers who are not affiliated to the signatory employer associations?
No.
4.2.2. If there is a practice of extending collective agreements, is this practice pervasive or rather limited and exceptional?
Not applicable.
4.3. Sector-related multi-employer wage agreements* valid in 2006 (or most recent data), including for each agreement information on the signatory parties and the purview of the agreement in terms of branches, types of employees and territory covered.
The agreement for public employees at federal and municipal levels TVöD also covers with some amendments employees at municipal airports. Very important is also the additional agreement BT-F, covering airports only and allowing certain deviations from the TVöD. The package of both agreements is labelled TV-F.
The signatory parties of TVöD and TVöD BT-F are, on the trade union side, ver.di and the dbb tarifunion and, on the employer side, VKA. The privatised airport operator Fraport is a member of VKA, meaning that its employees are, in principle, covered by the TVöD and BT-F. However, Fraport has outsourced a number of services into several new subsidiaries. Some of these subsidiaries are covered by new company-level collective agreements, while some are not covered by any collective agreement at all.
* Only wage agreements which are (re)negotiated on a reiterated basis.
| Bargaining parties | Scope of sector-related multi-employer wage agreements | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sectoral | Type of employees | Territorial | |
| ver.di, dbb tarifunion and VKA | Municipal airports | All public employees and employees at Fraport AG | Germany |
4.4. Sector’s four most important collective agreements (single-employer or multi-employer agreements) valid in 2006 (or most recent data)
The bargaining landscape is highly fragmented and volatile. There is no precise data concerning bargaining coverage of certain collective agreements available. The following ranking is therefore only based on estimates.
| Bargaining parties | Scope of agreements | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sectoral | Type of employees | Territorial | |
| ver.di and dbb tarifunion, VKA | Municipal airports | All employees of organisations which are a member of VKA | Germany |
| ver.di and dbb tarifunion, Fraport AG | Various subsidiaries of Fraport AG | Employees in subsidiaries of Fraport AG | Germany |
| ver.di and Lufthansa | Lufthansa | Ground staff at Lufthansa | Germany |
| VC and Lufthansa | Lufthansa | Pilots at Lufthansa | Germany |
5. Formulation and implementation of sector-specific public policies
5.1. Are the sector’s employer associations and trade unions usually consulted by the authorities in sector-specific matters?
VKA is usually consulted by public authorities. Trade unions are occasionally consulted by authorities in sector-specific matters.
5.2. Do tripartite bodies dealing with sector-specific issues exist?
No.
6. Statutory regulations of representativeness
6.1. In the case of the trade unions, do statutory regulations exist which establish criteria of representativeness which a union must meet, so as to be entitled to conclude collective agreements?
No.
6.2. In the case of the trade unions, do statutory regulations exist which establish criteria of representativeness which a union must meet, so as to be entitled to be consulted in matters of public policy and to participate in tripartite bodies?
No.
6.3. Are elections for a certain representational body (e.g. works councils) established as criteria for trade union representativeness? If yes, please report the most recent electoral outcome for the sector.
No.
6.4. Same question for employer associations as 6.1.
No, there are no statutory regulations defining representativeness criteria. No statutory requirement exists for an association.
6.5. Same question for employer associations as 6.2.
No criteria are defined by law.
6.6. Are elections for a certain representational body established as criteria for the representativeness of employer associations?
No.
7. Commentary
The privatisation of the civil aviation industry led to the erosion of multi-employer bargaining in the sector. With only one package of multi-employer agreements left, covering the remaining public employees at airports in local public ownership, most of the workers in civil aviation are covered by single-employer agreements at company or establishment level. It should be noted that occupational trade unions (Spartengewerkschaften), such as VC, GdF and UFO organising cockpit members, air-traffic controllers and cabin crews, entered into separate collective bargaining since 2001. While GdF is the sole bargaining party for air traffic controllers, strong intra-union competition exists in company-level collective bargaining at various airlines, in particular between ver.di and UFO at Lufthansa, and between ver.di and VC in a number of airlines.
Heiner Dribbusch, Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI) and Sandra Vogel, Cologne Institute for Economic Research (IW Köln)
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