Trade Union Responses to Precarious Employment in Germany

Abstract

Content: Introduction; 1. Precariousness in the German labour market; 1.1 Forms of atypical and precarious employment; 1.2 Dimensions of precarious employment; 1.3 Summary: Incidence of precarious employment in Germany; 2. Trade union strategies against precarious employment – an overview; 2.1 Change of legislation in order to limit, prevent or even forbid certain forms of precarious employment; 2.2 Collective agreements to improve the conditions of precarious employment and to limit its use; 2.3 Organising workers in precarious employment and giving them practical help and assistance; 2.4 “Good work” as a trade union counter model against precarious employment; 3. Trade union strategies against precarious employment – four case studies; 3.1 Tackling low wages; 3.2 Temporary Agency work: Limiting and regulating; 3.3 Representing dependent self-employed workers; 3.4 Apprentices: More training capacities and takeovers; 4. Conclusion; References