The paradox of the ‘German model’

Steffen Lehndorff of the University of Duisberg-Essen criticises the presentation of Germany as offering an ideal ‘model for Europe’. Instead, its labour market reforms in the early 2000s allowed it to export deflation to the rest of Europe, with disastrous consequence

Models of capitalism in Europe: towards the return of the state?

"The present economic crisis has sparked a new debate in a wider political and academic public about the role of the state in advanced capitalist societies. The paper discusses this issue in a comparative perspective: How have different models of capitalism in Europe coped with major economic and societal challenges before the present crisis? Taking the UK and Sweden as flagship examples for contrasting models of capitalism in Europe, and Germany as an increasingly controversial case between these poles, the paper describes major moves taken in these three countries, from the mid-1990s, to tackle the challenges of globalisation and the liberalisation of EU labour and product markets, and to respond to societal changes such as ageing and the changing gender roles. It concludes with a comparative assessment of changes in these three models of capitalism in Europe before the current economic crisis as a basis for an outlook at the respective prospects in the near future, given the legacies of this crisis for public budgets and the capacities of the states." (author's abstract

The Long Good-Bye? Tarifvertragliche Arbeitszeitregulierung und gesellschaftlicher Arbeitszeitstandard

"Die dem deutschen Tarifvertragssystem vielfach attestierten Erosionserscheinungen veranlassen zu der Frage, ob die Arbeitszeitregulierung allmählich ihre Funktion einbüßen wird, Branchenstandards zu setzen und darüber hinaus auch allgemeine gesellschaftliche Arbeitszeitnormen zu prägen. Anhaltspunkte für eine solche Vermutung bieten Anzeichen einer Verlängerung und Ausdifferenzierung der Arbeitszeiten von Vollzeitkräften seit Mitte der 90er Jahre. In dem Artikel wird die These vertreten, dass in Verbindung mit neuen Formen der Arbeitsorganisation und der Veränderung der Qualifikationsstrukturen hierin erste Vorboten eines längerfristigen Funktionswandels von Arbeitszeitregulierung erblickt werden können. Eine solche Entwicklung ist jedoch nicht alternativlos. Die inneren Widersprüche 'marktgesteuerter' Arbeit und die konfliktreiche Herausbildung egalitärer Erwerbsstrukturen von Männern und Frauen bieten auch neue Interessenkonstellationen und Ansatzpunkte für Reform und Erneuerung der tarifvertraglichen Arbeitszeitregulierung." (Autorenreferat)"It is widely accepted that collective bargaining in Germany is suffering the symptoms of what is called an 'erosion' of the system. It may be asked, therefore, if collective bargaining is also losing its long-established strength both to set industry standards and influence social norms on working-time. There is evidence of a rise in average working hours and a growing dispersion of working-time between different categories of employees during the 1990s which support this view. Moreover, given the changes in work organisation and the rise in qualification levels, we may be witnessing the harbingers of a gradual alteration in the functioning of the system of collective bargaining over working-time. However, there may be alternative routes of change. In the paper it is argued that the contradictions between the 'governance by markets' in work organisation and the long-term trends towards egalitarian employment structures of men and women may give rise to reforms of the system of collective bargaining over working-time which help to re-establish its standard-setting potential." (author's abstract

Man spricht deutsch: Eine trügerische Erfolgsgeschichte

The European crisis is giving rise to highly controversial statements on the role of Germany. The paperhighlights Germany’s role as the single most important problem maker, rather than problemtaker, in the course of the current revival of neoliberal economic policy reforms in Europe.Major roots of the deepening imbalances in the Eurozone are ascribed to a reshaped Germanmodel of capitalism which is analysed as a hybrid of surviving powerful features of ‘Rhenish’capitalism and neoliberal upheavals in the labour market. As a consequence, the austerity regimeimposed on other countries by the German government may be economically beneficialfor Germany in the short run but will most presumably prove to be a disaster in the longer runboth for individual countries and for Europe as a whole.The European crisis is giving rise to highly controversial statements on the role of Germany. The paperhighlights Germany’s role as the single most important problem maker, rather than problemtaker, in the course of the current revival of neoliberal economic policy reforms in Europe.Major roots of the deepening imbalances in the Eurozone are ascribed to a reshaped Germanmodel of capitalism which is analysed as a hybrid of surviving powerful features of ‘Rhenish’capitalism and neoliberal upheavals in the labour market. As a consequence, the austerity regimeimposed on other countries by the German government may be economically beneficialfor Germany in the short run but will most presumably prove to be a disaster in the longer runboth for individual countries and for Europe as a whole

Der Mensch als Puffer: Zeitnot und Zeitsouveränität unter dem just-in-time-Regime in vier europäischen Ländern

Gestützt auf Betriebsbesuche und Expertengespräche mit Managern und Mitgliedern der Belegschaftsvertretungen bei rund 50 Automobilzulieferern in Deutschland, Frankreich, Spanien und Großbritannien werden die Auswirkungen der just-in-time-Logistik (JIT) auf Zeitmanagement und Personalpolitik der Zulieferbetriebe und die Arbeitsbedingungen, insbesondere die Arbeitszeit der in der Produktion Beschäftigten analysiert. Die gemeinsame Grundtendenz in allen vier Ländern ist der Ersatz von Materialpuffern durch menschliche Puffer. Eine alternative Reaktionslinie setzt auf neuartige Leistungskompromisse, die die Gewährung größerer individueller Zeitsouveränität für die Beschäftigten einschließen. Während sich die gesellschaftlichen Voraussetzungen für die Etablierung derartiger Gestaltungsansätze durch die Massenarbeitslosigkeit und die Deregulierungen auf den Arbeitsmärkten verschlechtern, spielen für das Aushandeln innovativer Arbeitszeitarrangements Unternehmenskulturen der Arbeitszeitpolitik eine immer größere Rolle. Deshalb sind neben Unterschieden zwischen den industriellen Beziehungen der verschiedenen Länder die industriellen Beziehungen in den transnationalen Zulieferunternehmen der Automobilindustrie ('Euro-Firmen') von wachsender Bedeutung.(IAB2

Auf dem Weg zur klimaneutralen Industrie? Was läuft, wo es hakt, worauf es jetzt ankommt

AUF DEM WEG ZUR KLIMANEUTRALEN INDUSTRIE? WAS LÄUFT, WO ES HAKT, WORAUF ES JETZT ANKOMMT Auf dem Weg zur klimaneutralen Industrie? Was läuft, wo es hakt, worauf es jetzt ankommt / Lehndorff, Steffen (Rights reserved) ( -

El sindicalismo alemán en la industria y los servicios : ¿dos modelos diferentes?

El artículo analiza la intervención de los sindicatos alemanes en el marco de la crisis social provocada por la recesión económica iniciada en 2008, identificando significativas diferencias entre los sectores industrial y de servicios, en función de sus respectivos recursos (estructurales, organizativos, institucionales y sociales), mediante el estudio de los casos correspondientes a las principales federaciones de cada ámbito (IG-Metall y ver.di)The article analyzes the intervention of the German trade unions in the context of the social crisis caused by the economic recession that began in 2008, identifying significant differences between the industrial and service sectors, according to their respective resources (structural, organizational, institutional and social), through the study of the cases corresponding to the main federations of each area (IG-Metall and ver.di

Process sequence of soil aggregate formation disentangled through multi-isotope labelling

Microaggregates (250 µm) that resisted 60 J mL−1 ultrasonic dispersion. Afterwards, we assessed the C, N, Fe, and Si stable isotope composition in each size fraction. After four weeks we found a rapid build-up of stable macroaggregates comprising almost 50 % of soil mass in the treatment with plants and respective soil rooting, but only 5 % when plants were absent. The formation of these stable macroaggregates proceeded with time. Soil organic carbon (SOC) contents were elevated by 15 % in the large macroaggregates induced by plant growth. However, the recovery of EPS-derived 13C was below 20 % after 4 weeks, indicating rapid turnover in treatments both with and without plants. The remaining EPS-derived C was mainly found in macroaggregates when plants were present and in the occluded small microaggregates (<20 µm) when plants were absent. The excess of bacterial 15N closely followed the pattern of EPS-derived 13C (R2 = 0.72). In contrast to the organic gluing agents, the goethite-57Fe and montmorillonite-29Si were relatively equally distributed across all size fractions. Overall, microaggregates were formed within weeks. Roots enforced this process by stabilizing microaggregates within stable macroaggregates. As time proceeded the labelled organic components decomposed, while the labelled secondary oxides and clay minerals increasingly contributed to aggregate stabilization and turnover at the scale of months and beyond. Consequently, the well-known hierarchical organization of aggregation follows a clear chronological sequence of stabilization and turnover processes

Architecture of soil microaggregates: Advanced methodologies to explore properties and functions

The functions of soils are intimately linked to their three-dimensional pore space and the associated biogeochemical interfaces, mirrored in the complex structure that developed during pedogenesis. Under stress overload, soil disintegrates into smaller compound structures, conventionally named aggregates. Microaggregates (<250 µm) are recognized as the most stable soil structural units. They are built of mineral, organic, and biotic materials, provide habitats for a vast diversity of microorganisms, and are closely involved in the cycling of matter and energy. However, exploring the architecture of soil microaggregates and their linkage to soil functions remains a challenging but demanding scientific endeavor. With the advent of complementary spectromicroscopic and tomographic techniques, we can now assess and visualize the size, composition, and porosity of microaggregates and the spatial arrangement of their interior building units. Their combinations with advanced experimental pedology, multi-isotope labeling experiments, and computational approaches pave the way to investigate microaggregate turnover and stability, explore their role in element cycling, and unravel the intricate linkage between structure and function. However, spectromicroscopic techniques operate at different scales and resolutions, and have specific requirements for sample preparation and microaggregate isolation; hence, special attention must be paid to both the separation of microaggregates in a reproducible manner and the synopsis of the geography of information that originates from the diverse complementary instrumental techniques. The latter calls for further development of strategies for synlocation and synscaling beyond the present state of correlative analysis. Here, we present examples of recent scientific progress and review both options and challenges of the joint application of cutting-edge techniques to achieve a sophisticated picture of the properties and functions of soil microaggregates

Im Spannungsfeld von Staat und Tarifvertrag: Arbeitszeitregulierung in Europa

Vor dem Hintergrund aktueller Kontroversen über das Verhältnis von staatlicher und kollektivvertraglicher Normensetzung werden drei Typen der Arbeitszeitregulierung in Europa vorgestellt: Die arbeitsteilige Regulierung mit einem Nebeneinander von gesetzlichen Mindestnormen und tarifvertraglich definierten wöchentlichen Regelarbeitszeiten; die initiierende oder aktivierende Arbeitszeitregulierung, die die Akteure des Tarifvertrags-systems dazu einlädt, sich über Anpassungsstrategien zu einigen; und eine indirekte Form der Beeinflussung der Arbeitszeitrealitäten durch Institutionen einschließlich des Steuer- und Sozialversicherungssystems, die die berufliche Gleichstellung von Frauen entweder behindern oder erleichtern. Der Aufsatz plädiert dafür, auch in Deutschland mit seinen starken Traditionen tarifvertraglicher Arbeitszeitregulierung über die vertrauten Muster der arbeitsteiligen Regulierung hinauszudenken.   Working-time Regulation in Europe: The Interplay between the State and Collective Bargaining Interactions between statutory and collectively agreed working-time standards can be understood by distinguishing between, firstly, task-sharing approaches based on an implicit division of work between statutory limits on normal hours and collective agreements; secondly, activating approaches in which restrictive limits imposed by public policy provide an incentive to collective bargaining actors to agree on adaptations of these norms to industry- or establishment-level specifics; and, finally, indirect forms of hampering or facilitating working-time choices, in particular for women, through institutional incentives or disincentives. The paper argues that in Germany more attention should be paid to the latter two approaches