Martin Behrens is Programme Director in WSI, Hans-Boeckler-Foundation; Andreas Pekarek is Ph.D. Candidate at Monash University, Australia.
1468-2338/asset/olbannerleft.gif?v=1&s=34f13848f50c88548e3a7b7819c925a14b1c32ac)
The Political Economy of Work and Employment
To merge or not to merge? The impact of union merger decisions on workers' representation in Germany
Article first published online: 22 NOV 2012
DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2338.2012.00700.x
© 2012 The Author(s). Industrial Relations Journal © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
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How to Cite
Behrens, M. and Pekarek, A. (2012), To merge or not to merge? The impact of union merger decisions on workers' representation in Germany. Industrial Relations Journal, 43: 527–547. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2338.2012.00700.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 22 NOV 2012
- Article first published online: 22 NOV 2012
Funded by
- Hans-Boeckler-Foundation
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Abstract
Union mergers have been widely studied in a variety of countries; however, little is known about their impact on union effectiveness. This article draws on in-depth interviews with officials and works councillors from four German unions, as well as on a representative survey of German works councils, to analyse how a union's merger status shapes its effectiveness in three spheres of activity: political lobbying, collective bargaining and establishment-level interest representation. We compare two cases of merger with two cases of continued organisational independence, finding that merger outcomes for individual unions vary considerably across our three union functions.