After Globalisation and Financialisation: Logics of Bargaining in the German Automotive Industry

Abstract

The article is focused on actual and future importance of collective bargaining at plant and company level in the German automotive industry. The impacts of restructuring of business processes, which are connected with trends towards globalisation and financialisation, are described and analysed. Empirical evidence is based on case studies in German based automobile companies. It is argued, that globalisation and financialisation are changing the balance of power within enterprises, the issues over which bargaining is taking place and the significance of certain arenas for negotiation. The paper concludes that collective bargaining still matter, and the locally embedded collective skills and cooperation play an important role in strategic choices of corporate management towards restructuring and globalisation and thereby give room to maneuver for employees' representation.