Schulten, Thorsten
IG Medien survey on working time: what union members want
27 November 1997
In September 1997, the media workers' trade union IG Medien conducted a
survey on working time and employment among its members. IG Medien, which
organises workers in the printing industry and paper processing as well as
journalists, writers, artists and actors, sent out a questionnaire to more
than 160,000 members asking for their positions on further working time
reduction. The questionnaire was accompanied by a letter from the president
of IG Medien, Detlef Hensche, in which he expressed the need for an open
debate on future working time policy within the union.
Union extends its protests against proposed new postal law
27 October 1997
In autumn 1997, the German Posts and Telecommunications Trade Union DPG
(Deutsche Postgewerkschaft) extended its protests against the Government's
draft of a new postal law. On 23 September, DPG called for extra works
meetings (Betriebsversammlungen) to inform the 300,000 or so employees of
Deutsche Post AG- the privatised successor of the former state post service -
about the possible social consequences of the new law. On 8 October, more
than 43,000 postal workers responded to the DPG's initiative for a central
demonstration against the new postal law in Bonn, accompanied by various
protest actions at regional level.
New collective agreement in the west German steel industry
27 October 1997
On 20 October 1997, the IG Metall metalworkers trade union and the German
Steel Employers' Association (Arbeitgeberverband Stahl) signed a new
collective agreement for the 90,000 employees of the west German steel
industry in Northrhine-Westphalia (NRW), Lower-Saxony and Bremen. The new
agreement, which has a relatively long duration of 17 months, provides for:
New government initiative to improve the number of training places
27 September 1997
On 9 September 1997, the German Federal Government took the decision to
favour those companies which provide sufficient training places when
allocating public contracts. In the event that companies submit equal tenders
for public contracts those companies which have a sufficient number of
apprenticeship places will get the order . The Federal Minister of Education,
Science, Research and Technology, Jürgen Rüttgers, expressed his hopes that
other regional and local governments will follow that decision. As early as
in July 1997, the Bavaria n State Government declared it would favour
companies providing training in the allocation of public contracts
Collectively agreed pay increases have not exhausted the margin of distribution
27 September 1997
Traditionally, the results of German collective bargaining have always been
very close to the "margin of distribution" (Verteilungsspielraum) - that is,
the increase in inflation plus the increase in productivity. The idea of
"margin of distribution" was developed from the concept of the "social market
economy" (soziale Marktwirtschaft), which should lead to an equal
participation in the development of economic wealth among employers and
employees. However, according to a recent study by the Institute for
Economics and Social Science (Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliches
Institut, WSI), inflation and productivity have grown much faster than
collectively agreed wages and salaries in recent years.
Preussen Elektra agreement cuts hours and creates jobs
27 August 1997
In July 1997, a new company agreement was concluded for the 11,000 or so
employees of the German energy corporation, Preussen Elektra, by the Public
Services, Transport and Traffic Union (Gewerkschaft Öffentliche Dienste,
Transport und Verkehr, ÖTV), the chemical workers' union, IG Chemie, and the
employers' association for the energy sector (Arbeitgebervereinigung
energiewirtschaftlicher Unternehmen). The agreement runs for two years until
31 October 1999.
Pact for improving competitiveness and safeguarding production sites at Ravensburger AG
27 August 1997
On 28 May 1997 the management at Ravensburger AG, one of Germany's most
important producers of games, with about 1,250 employees, presented its
workforce with a document called the "Pact for improving competitiveness and
safeguarding production sites" (Bündnis zur Stärkung der
Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und Standortsicherung). The core of this document is
the company's plan to extend weekly working time from 36 to 38 hours without
any wage compensation for the employees. In return the company promises that
no redundancies will be made until the end of 2000. Furthermore, Ravensburger
plans to introduce a new profitsharing system, whereby the employees will
receive an annual bonus of between DEM 850 and DEM 2,600 depending on the
company's economic performance.
First company agreement on partial retirement in public services
27 August 1997
On 11 August 1997, the Public Services, Transport and Traffic Union
(Gewerkschaft Öffentliche Dienste, Transport und Verkehr, ÖTV) and the
regional public employers' association Kommunaler Arbeitgeberverband
Baden-Württemberg concluded an agreement on partial retirement
(Altersteilzeit) for the state-owned clearing bank Landesgirokasse
Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart. Partial retirement has become an important
new issue in 1997 German collective bargaining (DE9708224F [1]) and the new
Landesgirokasse deal is the first company agreement on partial retirement in
the public sector.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/social-policies-undefined/collective-agreements-on-partial-retirement
New company agreement signed at Volkswagen AG
27 July 1997
On 24 June 1997 the recent collective bargaining round at the leading German
motor company Volkswagen (VW) ended with the conclusion of a new company
agreement. Volkswagen is one of the very few large German corporations in the
metalworking sector which, traditionally, are not covered by branch-level
collective bargaining, but have always concluded their own company
agreements. The negotiations for the about 95,000 VW employees take place
between VW management and the regional office of the IG Metall metalworkers'
union in Lower Saxony, where most of the six west German VW plants are
located.
Extension of working time without wage compensation at Continental AG
27 July 1997
On 1 July 1997 Germany's largest car-tyre manufacturer, Continental AG,
announced the conclusion of a new works agreement [1] for its tyre production
plant in Hannover-Stöcken. The new works agreement, which affects about
2,700 employees at the Stöcken site, foresees a sharp reduction in labour
costs mainly through:
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/efemiredictionary/works-agreement-0