A Comparison of the British and the German Industrial Relations and its Implications

A close investigation of the industrial relations in Britain and Germany reveals that there has occurred a clear divergence. But at the same time, a converging trend is also noticed. Regarding the latter, decentralization is gaining in power. This allows companies under certain conditions and to specified extents to modify or diverge from the agreed standards. What this comparative study demonstrates is that structural determinism is overplayed. The policies that unions and management adopt in response to certain circumstances are not predetermined. Not only are they capable of acting in response to various external constraints, but the nature of their response to secure their long-term future is an outcome of internal relations between the two sides.