Trade Unions In West Germany

Monograph on trade unions in Germany, Federal Republic - presents a historical sketch of the German labour movement and trade unionism, and analyses labour disputes (notably strikes), attitudes and policies of trade unions in the industrial sector, and comments the labour legislation (esp. The work constitution acts of 1971 and 1976). One-page bibliography and statistical tables.

First published in 1986, this book assesses the politics of the West German trade unions in the context of their larger role as major actors in the polity. By focusing on the historical realities of the labour movement both before and after 1945, the study explains the extent to which organized labour solidified and challenged the dominant structures of politics and authority. It examines the metalworkers’ union, the construction workers’ union, the printers’ union and the chemical workers’ union and shows how the industrial reality of each organisation helped shape its political outlook and strategic thinking. This book will be of particular interest to students of trade unions, industrial relations and political economy in West Germany.

First published in 1984. This book represents a major study of union responses to the economic crisis of the 1970s and 1980s. Abjuring governmental or managerial outlooks, it argues that unions, as representatives of essential producer groups, would be central to the renegotiation of the economic world. The work also stresses the importance of situating union responses to the crisis within the socio-historical evolution of their political economies during the rise and decline of the post-war economic boom. The Social Democratic affiliation of unions in Britain, West Germany and Sweden make them particularly comparable. This title will be of interest to students of politics and economics.

Case study of labour relations in the Volkswagen (VW) motor vehicle industry in Germany, Federal Republic - reveals how trade unions, trade union structure and the institutional framework contribute to high labour productivity of industrial workers and efficiency in industrial production, exemplified by (1) the 1975 VW Redundancy Scheme, (2) the set-up of a VW assembly factory in the USA (multinational enterprise), and (3) collective bargaining on overtime at Opel and VW; includes excerpts of 1975 labour legislation on works councils. Bibliography.

This volume provides a survey of the institutional and legal complexities of systems of industrial relations in German 'industrial culture', with a particular focus on the West German case.