Vogel, Sandra
Collective agreements concluded in the metal industry
28 August 2012
During the recent collective bargaining round in Germany’s metal and
electrical sector, four topics dominated the social partners’ agenda;
wages, temporary agency work, apprentices and demographic change.
Debate continues over freedom of movement
11 July 2012
After a seven-year adjustment period, the German labour market was opened to
Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Slovak and Slovenian
workers on 1 May 2011. The new legislation enabled people from these
countries to move freely to Germany to take up work and settle. As the first
anniversary of the regulations passed on 1 May 2012, the Institute for
Employment Research (IAB [1]) took a closer look at the immigration data
available from the Federal Employment Agency (BA [2]) and examined the
effects of the new law.
[1] http://www.iab.de/
[2] http://www.arbeitsagentur.de
German labour market in stable condition
02 May 2012
When the global economic and financial crisis hit Germany, several labour
market instruments helped to stabilise German employment. The measures mainly
consisted of extending short-time working schemes (*DE0904039I* [1],
*DE0909029I* [2]), reducing working hours saved up in employees’ working
time [3] accounts and exercising wage restraint in collective agreements
concluded during the crisis. These measures are thought to have spared the
German labour market a drastic rise in unemployment. The latest data from the
Institute for Employment Research (IAB [4]) now indicate they are no longer
in widespread use.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/new-allowances-for-short-time-work-in-bid-to-offset-economic-crisis
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/high-costs-of-short-time-working-for-companies
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/working-time
[4] http://www.iab.de/
Factors influencing women’s decision to return to work
20 March 2012
At the end of 2011, the Institute for Employment Research (IAB [1]) released
its latest findings on the female employment situation in Germany (in German,
452Kb PDF) [2]. As earlier research has shown, career breaks play a major
role in widening the gender pay gap [3]. They can also have a negative effect
on the participation rate of women in further training, worsen their
prospects for promotion and reduce their pension entitlements.
[1] http://www.iab.de/
[2] http://doku.iab.de/kurzber/2011/kb2311.pdf
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/gender-pay-gap
Raising retirement age reignites national debate
11 March 2012
In 2006, the then German government proposed gradually raising the statutory
retirement age from 65 to 67 years. At the time, the coalition was made up of
the conservative Christian Democratic Party (CDU [1]), its Bavarian sister
party, the Christian Social Union (CSU [2]), and its coalition partner, the
Social Democratic Party (SPD [3]).
[1] http://www.cdu.de/
[2] http://www.csu.de/
[3] http://www.spd.de/
Chemicals agreement aims to motivate older workers
09 February 2012
An ageing workforce and shortage of skilled labour in the chemical industry
are of great concern to social partners within the sector. A company survey
by the German Federation of Chemicals Employers’ Associations (BAVC [1])
highlights measures already being used to retain skilled workers. The social
partners in north east Germany have even concluded a new collective agreement
which deals specifically with demographic change.
[1] http://www.bavc.de
Vocational training market in fine shape
21 December 2011
At the beginning of November 2011, a group of employers’ organisations
presented new data on developments in vocational training in Germany. They
had come together in 2004 to set up the Pact on Apprenticeships
(/Ausbildungspakt/), designed to create more apprenticeship positions
(*DE0407105F* [1]).
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/training-levy-law-avoided-by-pact
Views divided over impact of statutory minimum wage
09 November 2011
During the spring and summer of 2011, the United Services Union (ver.di [1])
called for the introduction of a minimum wage in Germany. Together with the
Union of Food, Beverages, Tobacco, Hotel and Catering and Allied Workers (NGG
[2]), ver.di advocates a minimum wage of €8.50. Ver.di Chair Frank Bsirske
pointed out in a press release (in German) [3] that nearly one million
people, including 400,000 full-time employees, had to supplement their low
incomes with public allowances. NGG Chair Franz-Josef Möllenberg added that
only a minimum wage could protect workers from a reduction in the standard of
living.
[1] http://www.verdi.de/
[2] http://www.ngg.net/
[3] http://www.verdi.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/++co++e712f9e2-669a-11e0-715a-001ec9b05a14
Youth unemployment low compared to EU average
06 October 2011
On 11 August 2011, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis [1]) released new
youth unemployment figures (in German) [2]. They showed that in June 2011 the
youth unemployment rate in Germany was 9.1%, with 430,000 young people aged
between 15 and 24 out of work. This is higher than the average German
unemployment rate of 6.1% for those aged 15 to 74 years. The young are also
more likely to have flexible employment relationships when they do find work,
with 27.3% holding a fixed-term contract in 2010 compared with 7.9% of the
total employed population aged 15 to 64 years. These figures exclude those
still at school or in (vocational) training.
[1] http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms
[2] http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms/Sites/destatis/Internet/DE/Presse/pm/2011/08/PD11__293__132,templateId=renderPrint.psml
New collective agreement concluded in insurance sector
15 September 2011
In July 2011, the Employers Association for Insurance Companies in Germany
(AGV [1]) and the United Services Union (ver.di [2]) signed a new collective
agreement for the insurance industry, affecting around 160,000 office
employees. Negotiations were accompanied by several token strikes. According
to a press release (in German) [3] by ver.di, in June and July 2011 around
10,000 and 7,700 insurance employees respectively took part in industrial
action.
[1] http://agv-vers.de/
[2] http://www.verdi.de
[3] http://presse.verdi.de/pressemitteilungen/showNews?id=ef3650ec-aed4-11e0-407b-001ec9b03e44