BDA and DGB issue joint declaration on Alliance for Jobs

In July 2001, the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA) and the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) published a joint declaration on the tripartite national Alliance for Jobs. The declaration deals with vocational training and qualification, flexible working time and overtime work, company-related pension schemes, the enlargement of the EU, east Germany and the observance of collectively agreed standards.

On 20 July 2001, the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände, BDA) and the German Federation of Trade Unions (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, DGB) published a joint declaration on the tripartite national Alliance for Jobs (Bündnis für Arbeit) (DE9812286N), which follows an earlier joint declaration by the social partners in July 1999 (DE9907219F). Then, BDA and DGB agreed on a common strategy to achieve the goal of a "substantial and sustainable reduction of unemployment". In the recent statement, they point out that most parts of their agreements of that time have since been set down in concrete terms by the Alliance for Jobs and realised by the social partners (DE0103213F). Thus, about 600,000 additional jobs were filled in 2000, with about 100,000 in the metalworking and electrical industry alone.

The July joint declaration deals with the topics of "vocational training and qualification", "flexible working time and overtime work", "company-related pension schemes" and "enlargement of the European Union, east Germany and the observance of collectively agreed social standards".

BDA and DGB support the implementation of all agreements reached in the Alliance for Jobs which lead to more training and employment. The agreed common strategy on qualification - of taking initiatives in vocational education and internal qualification - is said to be showing good results. Both social partners support initiatives to make a training post available to every young person in search of one and expect that the number of internal training posts will further increase during 2001. DGB and BDA welcome a number of recent initiatives on qualifications, either as practised at company level or laid down in sectoral agreements - as for example in the metalworking industry in Baden Württemberg (DE0107233N) or in the textiles and clothing industry. They will further support collective and company-specific regulations.

BDA and DGB view the further extension of part-time work, temporary work contracts, new employment and flexible working time with working time accounts (long-term and short-term) as opportunities to reduce the extent of regular overtime work. They welcome the fact that collective agreements in some sectors, such as the steel industry or the private banking sector (DE0106228N), allow for the introduction of long-term and life-long working time accounts. BDA and DGB recommend further collectively agreed and company regulations.

BDA and DGB consider the new legal regulations relating to the recently adopted pension reform (DE0106227N) as a good opportunity to strengthen capital-based company-level occupational pension schemes. Referring to the joint statement issued by the Alliance for Jobs on 4 March 2001 (DE0103213F), they confirm the expectation that the social partners will develop concepts for the improvement of collective and company agreements on retirement pension schemes in the run-up-to the next bargaining round.

DGB and BDA greet the progress in the current negotiations on the enlargement of the European Union (EU0106221F). They view the flexible and differentiated transitional periods on freedom of movement for employees and on freedom of provision of services as an adequate framework to solve the transitional problems. They call for:

• a continuation of the subsidy programme for east Germany, named "Aufbau Ost", within Germany's second post-reunification "solidarity pact" and thereby a strengthening of the economic power of the border regions;

• a strengthening of qualification and integration, and a regulation of the immigration of employees; and

• effective action against the distortion of competition through wage and social dumping and progress towards the observance of regulations on collective bargaining and social standards.