A works council is a representative body of employees within an enterprise which in most European countries has a legal status and cannot be sidestepped or dissolved by employers. Under the German Works Constitution Act (“Betriebsverfassungsgesetz”), a works council should be elected in all establishments that normally have five or more permanent employees with voting rights. The members of the works council are elected by the entire workforce, and the works council’s duties are specified by law: the works council hears grievances, ensures that the employer complies with all labour laws and collective bargaining agreements, and bargains with the employers over personnel and social matters; including hirings, transfers, dismissals, hours of work, and plant rules.
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9. July 2024 | Digital and ecological transformation
Gig-work in the German delivery-services sector: Employment has increased significantly in recent years
Dr Martin Friedrich , Dr Ramona Jost , Dr Julia Lang , Dr Christoph Müller
Drivers working for app-based delivery services have become an integral part of the urban landscape in Germany. At the same time, working conditions in the so-called platform economy are keenly ...read more
1. July 2024 | International and Regional Labour Markets
“Working on national topics and being part of the international research community go very well together”
Research is increasingly international and benefits greatly from international exchange. The IAB is also becoming more and more international. Yuliya Kosyakova, Head of the IAB’s research ...read more
17. June 2024 | Education and the Labour Market
A broad field: Silke Anger and Bernd Fitzenberger on the importance of educational research at IAB
Educational research is an essential part of labour market and occupational research. At IAB, it is primarily, but by no means exclusively, conducted in the research unit “Education, Training, and ...read more