Tarifliche Öffnung in Deutschland: Ausmaß, Determinanten, Auswirkungen

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents inFlexibilisation in the German system of wage bargaining: extent, determinants, impacts Abstract Given the recent financial crisis, the German labour market performs relatively well. This has not been the case until recent years: collective bargaining and the rigid system of wage setting have been often cited as one of the reasons for Germany's high structural unemployment. Contrary, a reform process has started at least since the mid1990s, introducing measures of flexibility and decentralization to the formally rigid system of wage setting.This article summarises the developments of possible and actual flexibilisation of collective bargaining contracts via so called hardship or opening clauses. A literature review sums up the scientific progress that had been made at the beginning of the research project and shows which gaps were to fill. Lacking data, the first parts of the project investigate on the actual existence and shape of opening clauses and create a new data set to measure the incidence of opening clauses in collective bargaining agreements in West German manufacturing sector for the years 1995 to 2007, the IAW data set on opening clauses. Using this, we analyse the determinants of the introduction of opening clauses on the industry level and of their actual implementation on the firm level. The latter parts of the project focus on the relation between opening clauses and measures of firm performance, especially considering wages and job growth. The results show that opening clauses are more and more common and that a more diversified wage structure and higher job growth is observed.

Flexible collective bargaining agreements: Still a moderating effect on works council behaviour?

“…CBAs nowadays contain opening clauses (Tariföffnungsklauseln), which allow firms to deviate from the collectively negotiated wages or working conditions to a certain extent at the plant level (for an overview, see Brändle, Heinbach, & Maier, 2011, or Heinbach, 2009.…”

From Sick Man of Europe to Economic Superstar: Germany's Resurgent Economy

“…Even within union wage contracts negotiated at the industry level, there is scope for wage flexibility at the firm level through so-called "opening" or "hardship" clauses, provided that workers' representatives agree to this (see e.g., Hassel, 1999, Hassel and Rehder, 2001, or Carlin and Soskice, 2009, Brändle et al 2011, and Bispinck et al 2010. Below, we show that opening clauses have become increasingly common, and have further increased the importance of firm-based works councils in wage determination relative to trade unions.…”

“…Firms that use opening clauses negotiate the details concerning pay and working time agreements with the works council. 27 Brändle et al (2011, figure 1) report that opening clauses for wages only started to gain importance in 1995 (which is about the time when wage inequality at the bottom of the wage distribution started to increase considerably). Among industry-wide collective contracts in manufacturing, in 1995 less than 5% involved opening clauses for wages, while this number increased to about 60% in 2004.…”

Is Germany the North Star of Labor Market Policy?

“…This was, for example, possible via the socalled opening clauses in the contracts between unions and employers associations that are valid at times of crises. Such clauses became increasingly popular and are associated with greater wage dispersion and higher employment growth (Brändle et al, 2011). More generally, the more flexible labor arrangements allowed the adjustment, restructuring and reorganizing of existing work processes not only at the industry or sector level, but also at the firm level.…”