German Collective Bargaining – from Erosion to Revitalisation ?

Abstract

Following a continuous decrease in levels of collective bargaining coverage for more than two decades, all relevant social actors in Germany now agree that something has to be done to reverse that trend. However, there are still rather different views among trade unions, employers’ associations and political actors about the right measures and instruments required for a revitalisation of collective bargaining. While the unions try to rebuild their organisational power and gain political support for the bargaining system, the employers demand further flexibilisation in order to make agreements more attractive for the companies.