Publication

This brief discusses trends in industrial relations in Germany. The author argues that changing employment patterns in the country represent a long-term challenge to trade-unionism, which has shrunk considerably and will not, he believes, recover its past power. He maintains that German industrial relations have decisively moved away from branch collective agreements (except in the case of niche trade unions of highly skilled professionals) in favor of direct negotiations between management and staff. He then comments on the implications of this shift for the EU, as Germany will continue to promote work councils in other member states, such as Poland.