This paper traces the profound decline in German unionism over the course of the last three decades. Today just one in five workers is a union member, and it is now moot whether this degree of penetration is consistent with a corporatist model built on encompassing unions. The decline in union...

Das durch branchenweite Tarifverträge dominierte deutsche System der Lohnfindung und der Regelung von Arbeitsbedingungen wird trotz unbestreitbarer Verdienste in der Vergangenheit immer mehr in Frage gestellt. Als Reaktion auf die zunehmenden Herausforderungen des internationalen Wettbewerbs...

In Germany, trade unions and employers associations play a role not only in wage determination but also in social affairs and labour law. While the majority of firms are organized in employers associations, less than one quarter of employees are members of a trade union. Both social partners...