Weiler, Anni

With its 5000 x 5000 project, Volkswagen AG sets out to break new ground with regard to employment, work organisation and business policy within the framework of an independent company (Auto 5000 GmbH [1]). The main goal of the project is to integrate a large number of unemployed people into a typical employment relationship [2]. The project title 5000 x 5000 reflects the objective to employ 5,000 previously unemployed people with a monthly remuneration of DEM5,000 (€2,500). [1] http://www.auto5000.de/index_e.php [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/efemiredictionary/typical-employment-relationship-0

Job security, access to training, career development and pay are identified as key indicators for assessing quality of work. According to these indicators, four types of jobs can be distinguished: dead-end jobs, low pay/low productivity jobs, jobs of reasonable quality and jobs of good quality.

The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [1] commissioned a research project in 2000 to focus on the health effects of flexible forms of work and look at potential preventive measures that could be adopted. The results are analysed in the report, Health impacts of flexible forms of work - risk assessment and preventive measures [2]/./ [1] http://www.baua.de/eindex.htm [2] http://www.baua.de/english/fors/fb03/fb986_e.htm

The new Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work will take force from 1 January 2004, further to a decision by the Council of the European Union (OJ C 218 [1]). [1] http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/archive/2003/c_21820030913en.html

The objectives of the report are to investigate how companies in three sectors: the automobile industry, the banking business and road haulage experience EMU with regard to the practicalities of the introduction of the EURO, industrial relations, pay, employment, working conditions, restructuring of the companies and forms of business organisation.

The way to EMU has deeply changed the macroeconomic conditions of the German economy. This report looks at the main features of industrial relations in Germany. It analyses the impact on three sectors: banking and finance, automotive and road haulage, which have undergone or are undergoing intense restructuring with important implications for employment and working conditions.