Decentralised bargaining of working time inthe German automotive industry

The article addresses the question whether or not the trend towards the decentralisationof collective bargaining on working time in Germany entails a loss in the bindingpower of industry-level agreements. To this end, both working-time agreements andpractices are examined at the firm or establishment level in the automotive industry.Additionally, the article examines the extent to which workplace micro-level changesare reflected in official statistics. The findings indicate that unions and works councilshave taken on new roles preventing a widespread erosion of collective regulations.