Vogel, Sandra
Debate on the future of skilled labour
14 November 2010
At the end of July 2010, Rainer Bruederle, Germany’s Federal Minister of
Economics and Technology, proposed in a press report (in German) [1] that
companies in need of skilled labour should be allowed to offer cash premiums
to foreign skilled workers as an incentive. At the end of August 2010, he
presented a ministry working paper (in German) [2] on the issue and discussed
it with representatives of 17 business associations. The paper suggested
several lines of action. The first is to develop a suitable immigration
policy, in order to recruit skilled foreign workers. The second calls for
better integration of existent labour resources in Germany, for example
women, older workers or people with an immigrant background. As indicated by
the results of a recent company survey (in German) [3] by the German Chambers
of Industry and Commerce (DIHK [4]), every second company is already facing
difficulties in filling vacant positions.
[1] http://www.handelsblatt.com/newsticker/politik/bruederle-will-lockpraemie-fuer-auslaendische-fachkraefte;2627277
[2] http://www.bmwi.de/BMWi/Navigation/Presse/pressemitteilungen,did=356696.html
[3] http://www.dihk.de/inhalt/informationen/news/meldungen/meldung012759.html
[4] http://www.dihk.de/
Labour Court ruling on collective agreements provokes social partner debate
09 September 2010
In Germany, different wage agreements in one establishment have to date only
been allowed in a few sectors. In the transportation and health care sectors,
unions succeeded in organising highly homogeneous occupational groups. These
groups have the economic power to take effective strike action. Examples of
this situation include: the collective agreement negotiated between the
airline Lufthansa and the Cockpit Association (VC [1]), a pilots’ union, in
2001 (*DE0106226F* [2]): the collective agreement concluded by university
hospitals and the doctors’ union Marburger Bund (MB [3]) in 2006
(*DE0607019I* [4]); and the fight of the German Engine Drivers’ Union (GDL
[5]) for a separate agreement for engine drivers at the Deutsche Bahn railway
company in 2007/2008 (*DE0804049I* [6]).
[1] http://www.vcockpit.de/
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-industrial-relations/lufthansa-pilots-pay-dispute-draws-to-close
[3] http://www.marburger-bund.de/
[4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/doctors-strike-ends-in-new-collective-agreement
[5] http://www.gdl.de
[6] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/collective-agreement-finally-reached-for-german-engine-drivers
New collective agreement concluded in chemicals industry
22 July 2010
On 21 April 2010, the Mining, Chemicals and Energy Industrial Union (IG BCE
[1]) and the German Federation of Chemicals Employers’ Associations (BAVC
[2]) announced in a press article (in German) [3] the conclusion of a new
collective agreement in the sector. It runs for 11 months and will cover
550,000 employees in 1,900 establishments between 1 April 2010
(retrospectively) and 1 June 2010, depending on the region.
[1] http://www.igbce.de/portal/site/igbce/
[2] http://www.bavc.de
[3] http://www.bavc.de/bavc/web/web.nsf/id/li_pi_21042010-st1.html
Assessing employee representation and collective bargaining coverage
30 June 2010
The Institute for Employment Research (Institut für Arbeitsmarktforschung,
IAB [1]) of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA [2])
hosts the IAB Establishment Panel (IAB-Betriebspanel [3]), from which it
derived the latest data on collective bargaining [4] coverage and employee
representation. The panel is a representative survey of about 16,000
establishments.
[1] http://www.iab.de/
[2] http://www.arbeitsagentur.de/
[3] http://www.iab.de/de/erhebungen/iab-betriebspanel.aspx/
[4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/collective-bargaining
Social partners promote transitional employment options
12 May 2010
On 8 April 2010, an initiative called ‘HessenTransfer’ was launched by
the Hessian branch of the Confederation of German Trade Unions (Deutscher
Gewerkschaftsbund Hessen, DGB Hessen [1]) and the Confederation of Hessian
Employers’ Associations (Vereinigung der hessischen Unternehmerverbände,
VhU [2]). In cooperation with the Ministry for Labour, Family and Health
(Hessisches Ministerium für Arbeit, Familie und Gesundheit, HMAFG [3]) of
the west-central German state of Hesse and the Federal Employment Agency
(Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA [4]), the initiative was set up at regional
level to support local companies, especially small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs).
[1] http://www.hessen.dgb.de/
[2] http://www.vhu.de/
[3] http://www.hmafg.hessen.de/
[4] http://www.arbeitsagentur.de
Development and structure of flexible forms of employment
12 May 2010
In recent years, the German labour market has undergone profound reforms. For
example, rules on social welfare benefits and temporary agency work [1] have
been reorganised (DE0409204N [2], DE0608049I [3], DE0212203N [4]). While
these reforms were undertaken to stimulate job creation, among other things,
they also triggered a public debate on the possible negative consequences of
flexible forms of employment.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/temporary-agency-work
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/major-protests-against-cuts-in-unemployment-assistance
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/employers-call-for-reform-of-law-on-unemployment-assistance
[4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/new-law-passed-on-temporary-agency-work
Court ruling abolishes minimum wages in postal services sector
15 March 2010
At the end of December 2007, the previous German centre-right left-wing
coalition government issued a decree on mandatory working conditions for mail
delivery services. The decree enabled the government to introduce a national
minimum wage for large parts of the mail delivery services which were
included in the Posted Workers Act (/Arbeitnehmer-Entsendegesetz/, AEntG [1])
(*DE0712039I* [2]).
[1] http://bundesrecht.juris.de/aentg_2009/index.html
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/minimum-wage-for-mail-delivery-workers
Employers view apprenticeship pact positively despite crisis
16 December 2009
The pact on apprenticeships (/Ausbildungspakt/) – that is, the vocational
training agreement between the federal government and several umbrella
organisations of employer and business associations – was established in
2004. Extended in 2007, the pact will run until 2010 (*DE0802029I* [1]).
Apart from the federal government and the Federal Employment Agency
(Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA [2]), the following employer and business
associations are parties to the pact: the German Confederation of
Employers’ Associations (Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen
Arbeitgeberverbände, BDA [3]), the Federation of German Industries
(Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie, BDI [4]), the Association of German
Chambers of Industry and Commerce (Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag,
DIHK [5]), the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (Zentralverband des
Deutschen Handwerks, ZDH [6]) and the German Association of Liberal
Professions (Bundesverband der Freien Berufe, BFB [7]). The signatories to
the pact agreed to create more apprenticeship positions and improve the
career prospects of young people.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/pact-on-apprenticeships-exceeded-objectives-in-2007
[2] http://www.arbeitsagentur.de
[3] http://www.bda-online.de/www/arbeitgeber.nsf/ID/home
[4] http://www.bdi-online.de/index.htm
[5] http://www.dihk.de
[6] http://www.zdh.de/english.html
[7] http://www.freie-berufe.de/
General election results fuel debate between social partners
01 December 2009
The last general parliamentary election in Germany, which was held on 27
September 2009, brought to an end the incumbent coalition government between
the Social Democratic Party of Germany (Sozialdemokratische Partei
Deutschlands, SPD [1]) and the conservative alliance of the Christian
Democratic Union (Christliche Demokratische Union, CDU [2]) and its Bavarian
associate, the Christian Social Union (Christlich-Soziale Union, CSU [3])
(*DE0510201N* [4]). The following table outlines the election results, as
well as the distribution of seats in the German parliament (Bundestag [5]).
[1] http://www.spd.de/
[2] http://www.cdu.de/en/3440.htm
[3] http://www.csu.de/
[4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/employers-associations-and-trade-unions-divided-on-general-election-outcome
[5] http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/index.html
Young workers to substitute for older employees
15 September 2009
On 30 July 2009, the Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Olaf
Scholz, suggested prolonging the partial retirement scheme (in German) [1]
for older employees run by the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für
Arbeit, BA [2]). BA’s programme referred to by the minister grants
financial support to companies for the gradual transition of employees aged
55 years and over to retirement. For this, however, certain conditions must
be fulfilled. Employees must reduce their working time to 50% of their
average working hours. Moreover, the resulting vacancy or remaining working
hours must be filled by a newly recruited, previously unemployed person or
trainee.
[1] http://www.bmas.de/coremedia/generator/34444/2009__07__30__arbeitsmarktzahlen.html
[2] http://www.arbeitsagentur.de