organising agency workers: recent approaches in germany

WSI

TURI network conferenceBrussels, 14 October 2008

Organising Agency Workers: recent approaches in Germany

Dr. Heiner Dribbusch

Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI)Düsseldorf, Germany

TURI conference, Brussels 14 Oct 2008, Heiner Dribbusch

WSI

2002 – Deregulation of agency work

Red- green coalition passed deregulation

No more time limits

Removal of all contractual restrictions


WSI

2002 deregulation: equal treatment ...

Same pay and conditions as regular

workforce in the establishments doing the

hiring

but:

deviations allowed by way of collective

agreements


WSI

In other words:

Law is an incentive for temp work agencies

(TWA) to conclude collective agreements

because this is the way to avoid equal

treatment

The government passed the buck to the

unions


WSI

Bargaining development

2003: DGB sets up joint bargaining

commission for agency work

20 February: DGB and two employers‘

associations agree on ‘corner stones’

24 February: CGB presents package of

agreements undercutting the DGB

May: DGB concludes collective agreements

with provisions above CGB-agreements

but below ‘cornerstones’


WSI

Collective bargaining - features

Collective bargaining without the involvement of agency workers

Weak union density

Undercutting competition by Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (CGB) puts pressure on DGB and strengthens employers


WSI

Development of agency work

Quelle: Bundesagentur für Arbeit

245,780275,838

328,011 341,053318,465 330,219

385,256

443,949

579,771

715,056

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007


WSI< 1 week 1 week to < 3 months > 3 months

1997 11 53 36

2008 11 44 45

Length of employment (in %)

Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit


WSI

Data on agency workers:

2.4% of all employees liable to social security contributions

75% of agency workers are men

Agency work is in particular found in large establishments (> 500 employees)

Predominantly there were collectively agreed pay is high (e.g. car manufacturing; suppliers for auto industry

widespread in metal working (e.g. car manufacturing, production of parts)

in some cases between 30% and 50% of total workforce


WSI

Agency workers and works councils

2006 works council elections (metal working):

Agency workers registered as voters in 31% of establishments

In 22% of establishments they constituted more than 10% of electorate,

in 7% more than 20% of electorate,

and in 3,5% more than 30% of electorate

Problem: agency workers are not included when calculating thresholds (number of seats; release from work)

Lowest pay scales: euro/hour Agency work and selected industries

Source: WSI-Tarifarchiv - as of August 2008

6.46

6.53

7.31

7.38

8.15

11.33

12.47

CGB/BVD

CGB/AMP

DGB/iGZ

DGB/BZA

Cleaning (buildings) West. G.

Metal working industry (NRW)

Chemicals (North-Rhine)


WSI

Differences in pay

Metal industryAbout 25% to 45% less pay for same

work

Less days of paid leave

Considerably lower benefits


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Major reasons for differentials

Metal industry: in 75% of establishments hiring agency workers

these are paid according to the collective agreement of the temporary work agency

Also: agency workers are frequently found to be in inappropriate pay scales

Short terms of contract exclude promotion


WSI

Challenges:

Agency work replaces permanent employment Agency workers are employed as strike breakers Divided workplaces Agency work leads to two-tier workforce


WSITemporary work agencies are the organisational domain of ver.di

A few major TWAs have works councils (mainly admin staff) but this does not result in substantial organising of agency workers

The new collective agreements did not work in terms of organising the workers

Organising agency workers


WSI

The challenge is at the workplace

Equal treatment is primarily not a collective bargaining issue but a challenge for workplace unionism and works councils


WSIIG Metall was part of the 2003 bargaining approach

The union has become aware that agency workers have to be organised where they work and not where they are employed

IG Metall set up a special website for agency workers

IG Metall started in 2007 a campaign“Equal pay for equal work”

The challenge for IG Metall


WSIThe focus is on companies with large shares of agency work (>10% agency workers)

The union seeks the support of the works councils

The target is the management of the hiring company

Aim: equal or at least better pay and conditions

The approach of IG Metall I


WSIWorks councils are motivated to:

- INVOLVE agency workers

- meet with agency workers

- get to know their problems and address them

The approach of IG Metall II


WSIAgency workers are motivated:

- to report about their situation (questionnaire)

- to address the works council

- to organise in the union and to be prepared to take action

The approach of IG Metall III


WSIUp to now: more than 350 company-level agreements on improved pay and conditions

Target of 10,000 new members amongst agency workers will be met in 2008

Organising results are not directly linked to the quality of the agreement but to the degree of agency workers’ involvement

Success requires works council and agency workers to be prepared for a conflict with management

First results


WSI

Thanks for listening!

Links in German:

http://www.dgb.de/themen/tarifpolitik/zeitarbeit/index.htm

http://zeitarbeit.verdi.de/

http://www.igmetall-zoom.de/

http://www.gleichearbeit-gleichesgeld.de/

organising agency workers: recent approaches in germany

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