Collective agreement consists of two parts
Each collective agreement consists of two parts: The first part
deals with the rights and duties of the contractual partners. The
parties’ two main obligations are to maintain the industrial peace
and to use all available means to ensure that their members
abide by the agreement. The second part sets forth rules related
to labor contracts, to operational questions, and to the works
constitution within the meaning of the Works Constitution Act
(Betriebsverfassungsgesetz – BetrVG).
Only members of the trade union and members of the employer
association are actually bound by the agreements. If an employer
does not join the employers’ association, the unions may negoti-
ate a collective bargaining agreement with the employer individ-
ually. The German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
(Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales) may, at the request
of one of the negotiating parties, declare a collective bargaining
agreement to be generally binding. If such a declaration is made,
the agreement applies to all employees in the industry sector
and geographic region, even if their employer is not a member of
the respective employer association.
EU Forecast
euf:ba.18g:164/nws-01