Berlin September 27th 2013

Decentralization and derogations from collective agreements: how ver.di is facing the challanges

G a b r i e l e S t e r k e l

Gabriele Sterkel 1

Preface:

Derogations from collective agreements are with roundabout 30 cases 2012 not a very important way of decentralization in ver.di.

The peak time was between 2003 and 2007 – but never more than 100 new cases in one year.

We will come back to this ...

Other forms of decentralization and fragmentation are much more important

Gabriele Sterkel 2

outline The challenges ...

decline of real wages, growth of low wage sector, splitted labour cost (cheep services), distribution, growing gaps ...

crisis of cb system, decline of coverage, low legal support privatization, outsourcing, growth in precarious and temp.a.work derogations?

... and how ver.di is facing them: Minimum wage policy

Campaign for a statutory minimum wage, branch level mw after the posted workers law, mw in public procurement

Steps towards more and better agreements towards a continued positive development of members (best

results in collective bargaining actions) Basic rules/guidelines (Grundsätze) in cb coordination on

hardship clauses and a minimum cb wage

-2,8%

5,3% 6,1% 6,6%8,1% 8,1% 8,8% 10,0% 11,0%

13,4%14,9%

16,4% 16,8% 17,1% 17,8%

29,3% 29,4%

Schlusslicht Deutschland Veränderung der Reallöhne pro Kopf 2009 gegenüber 2000

Quelle: Europäische Kommission: Ameco-Datenbank (Deflator: privater Konsum), Stand: September 2013

ver.di BundesvorstandBereich Wirtschaftspolitik

Entwicklung vor der Krise…

Development of real wages ... Before the crisis

Entwicklung nach der Krise…

-0,7%

3,2% 4,2%6,6% 7,2% 7,5%

0,1%

12,5%

3,6%

16,5%13,4%

-3,3%

16,9%14,8%

13,4%

40,0%

26,1%

Schlusslicht GriechenlandVeränderung der Reallöhne pro Kopf 2012 gegenüber 2000

Quelle: Europäische Kommission: Ameco-Datenbank (Deflator: privater Konsum), Stand: September 2013

ver.di BundesvorstandBereich Wirtschaftspolitik

... After the crisis

Low wage shares in Europe

Gabriele Sterkel 6

1,4 Mill.

2,5 Mill.

4,1 Mill.

5,7 Mill.

6,8 Mill.

1,8 Mill.

2,9 Mill.

4,4 Mill.

6,1 Mill.

6,9Mill.

unter 5 € unter 6 € unter 7 € unter 8 € unter 8,50 €

Löhne im Niedriglohnsektor Zahl und Anteil der Beschäftigten

2010 2011

Quelle: IAQ-Report 1/2012; IAQ-Report 1/2013

ver.di BundesvorstandBereich Wirtschaftspolitik

4,0%

5,4%

7,4%

8,7%

12,0%

13,1%

16,7%

18,0%

19,9%

20,5%

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Wage drift

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No statutory minimum wage in Germany

10

LuxemburgFrankreich

BelgienNiederlande

IrlandGroßbritannien

SlowenienMalta

SpanienGriechenland

PortugalKroatien

PolenTschechien

UngarnSlowakei

EstlandLettlandLitauen

RumänienBulgarien

0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00

11.109.43

9.109.07

8.657.78

4.534.06

3.913.35

2.922.292.21

2.011.951.941.90

1.761.71

1.060.95

Chart Title

WSI Oktober 2013

Low support of german cb by extension (Verbreitung der Allgemeinverbindlicherklärung)

25.6.2013 Dr. Thorsten Schulten 11

… möglich und in der Praxis sehr verbreitet

Belgien, Finnland, Frankreich, Griechenland, Niederlande, Luxemburg, Portugal, Rumänien, Spanien

… möglich, aber in der Praxis kaum genutzt

Deutschland, Norwegen, Bulgarien, Estland, Lettland, Litauen, Polen, Slowakei, Tschechische Republik, Ungarn

… nicht möglich Dänemark, Großbritannien, Malta, Schweden, Zypern

… funktionale Äquivalente zur AVE Irland, Italien, Österreich, Slowenien

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Privatisation in Germany

Gabriele Sterkel 1310 %

15 %

20 %

25 %

30 %

35 %

40 %

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Öffentlicher Dienst: klein und kleinerAnteil der öffentlichen Beschäftigung an der Gesamtbeschäftigung

Schweden

Dänemark

Frankreich

Finnland

Griechenland

Großbritannien

USA

Deutschland

Quelle: ILO

ver.di BundesvorstandBereich Wirtschaftspolitik

The German job miracle

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-990.000

2.230.000

550.000

770.000

2.360.000

-1.440.000

registrierte Arbeitslose

Erwerbstätige

(Solo-) Selbstständige

geringfügig Beschäftigte

herkömmliche Teilzeit

Vollzeitbeschäftigte

Mehr Beschäftigung - aber was für welche?Veränderung der Erwerbstätigenzahlen von 2000 bis 2012

Quelle: Institut für Arbeitsmarkt und Berufsforschung, auf 10.000 gerundet (Stand: August 2013)

ver.di BundesvorstandBereich Wirtschaftspolitik

Liberalization, privatization, outsourcing, decentralization of enterprise structures ... ... Have entirely changed the preconditions of collective

Bargaining New economic structures, new sectors New structures in collective agreements: new regional

and thousands of enterprise- and plant-level agreements Wide areas without ca and wide areas with (very) low ca

Growing importance of collective action and strikes New acting subjects: collective action became more

female (first experiences)

Gabriele Sterkel 15

outline The challenges ...

decline of real wages, growth of low wage sector, splitted labour cost (cheep services), distribution, growing gaps ...

crisis of cb system, decline of coverage, low legal support privatization, outsourcing, growth in precarious and temp.a.work derogations?

... and how ver.di is facing them: Minimum wage policy

Campaign for a statutory minimum wage, branch level mw after the posted workers law, mw in public procurement

Steps towards more and better agreements towards a continued positive development of members (best

results in collective bargaining actions) Basic rules/guidelines (Grundsätze) in cb coordination on

hardship clauses and a minimum cb wage

Campaign for a statutory minimum wage

Gabriele Sterkel 17

Branch level mw after the posted workers law

Gabriele Sterkel 18

Minimum wages in public procurement

Gabriele Sterkel 19

outline The challenges ...

decline of real wages, growth of low wage sector, splitted labour cost (cheep services), distribution, growing gaps ...

crisis of cb system, decline of coverage, low legal support privatization, outsourcing, growth in precarious and temp.a.work derogations?

... and how ver.di is facing them: Minimum wage policy

Campaign for a statutory minimum wage, branch level mw after the posted workers law, mw in public procurement

Steps towards more and better agreements towards a continued positive development of members (best

results in collective bargaining actions) Basic rules/guidelines (Grundsätze) in cb coordination on

hardship clauses and a minimum cb wage

Aiming continuous growth of membership

Organizational change since 2007: raising the number of members is of highest importance ...

Cb approach: „Bedingungsgebundene Tarifarbeit „(Health sector) very successfull in both: more members and better agreements

Organizing approach in other branches: security, aviation, retail trade, (public private) transport

Not only organization but also participation and activation

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Collective bargaining coordination in ver.di: with basic rules/guidelines

background 13 sector departments/ 60 branch organisations nearly comlete cb autonomy of the cb committees

roundabout 2000 collective agreements every year

institutions of coordination cb department and „Clearingstelle“

cb „principles“ (guidelines) + „clearing procedure“ (no guideline about pay raise) opening clausses working time Equal treatment/pay minimum wage guideline: No ca wage below 8,50 € minimum wage monitoring

• 14.12.2012 Gabriele Sterkel

Clearingfälle 2002-2013(hardship ca 50-60%)

57

106

133

198

118 115

75 74 67

3657

37

0

50

100

150

200

250

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Aug 13

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Basic rule: no collectively agreed wage per hour below 8,50 €

Binding minimum wage for collective agreements

Rule, procedure and practice ... The result: very successfull

Minimum wage monitoring Controll of all agreed wages since 2011 Newly created database

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Gabriele Sterkel 30

Balkendiagramm: Verteilung aller Entgeltgruppen

Gabriele Sterkel 31

Development of wage-groups in ver.di-agreements 2011 - 2012

Gabriele Sterkel 32

Perspectives? the question is: how to restabilise + revitalise the German collective bargaining system with the aim of better pay raise + better working conditions. first steps:

Politically different economic policy, statutory minimum wage

Legally Reform of the extension law (for more generally binding

agreements)

Socially To make trade unions more recognised more attractive

for new members ... Organizing ... more social and cb power ...

More recognition in society for the people working in the service sector