Speidel, Frederic:
Co-managed versus management-dominated globalisation -
The implication of globalisation on industrial relations in the German and French car industry with particular reference to the cases of Volkswagen and Renault


Recklinghausen: FIAB-Verlag, 2002
24 Seiten

FIAB - Arbeitspapier. 2 (pdf-Datei)

The working paper examines the relationship between the globalisation of production and industrial relations in the German and French car industry with particular reference to Volkswagen and Renault. The underlying hypothesis is that under the impact of the global reorganisation of production structures, industrial relations in both companies have become subject to a process of competitive restructuring. The most significant indicator of competive restructuring is the widespread definition of the employment conditions through particularistic company- or plant-specific agreements reconciling the defence of employment and optimisation of competitiveness. Despite the functional convergence in industrial relations, it is shown that the capacities of the employee representatives at VW and Renault of participating on strategic decision-making processes differ to large extent. Whereas trade unions and works councils at VW are closely integrated into the globalisation process of the company through a dense network interrelated local, national and international institutions of employee representation, their counterparts at Renault have no say in strategic decisions. This is due to historically-institutional differences in industrial relations in both companies and countries.

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