The Practice of Industrial Relations Law in the Service Area

The occupational situation of works council chairmen and their judgement on the work of works council members as well as their opportunities to have an effect. Topics: Relationship with superiors and colleagues; judgement on the prospects of promotion, company social services, payment, co-determination, job security and achievement-based pay in the company; judgement on personal advantages from the work of the works council; motives for works council work; function of being released from occupational activity; composition of the works council; perceived reasons for insufficiently taking advantage of the industrial relations law; relationship between works council and company management; labor court conflicts; participation of trade union representatives and management in company meetings; attitude to trade unions and to a complete works council; extent to which informed about the industrial relations law; information flow in the company; number of works council meetings; judgement on the realization of co-determination rights and ´freedom of speech´ in the company; interest of women in the works council work and difficulties in activating women; assumed agreements on the part of share owners; attitude to employee representation in the supervisory board; attitude to co-determination in rationalization measures; participation in training outside of work; length of affiliation with company and works council; change of job; position in the company; media usage; membership in clubs and in the trade union; party preference; religiousness. Scales: work satisfaction, atmosphere at work and co-determination. Demography: sex; marital status; religious denomination; school education; vocational training; further education; occupation; professional position; type of company; income; social origins; city size; state. Interviewer rating: willingness of respondent to cooperate and number of contact attempts; weekday of interview. Also encoded were: company size; proportion of men and employees in the total workforce; size and composition of the works council; sex of the works council chairman; average age of company employees; election participation at works council elections; legal form of the company.