Good corporate governance needs codetermination. For employees, codetermination means having a say in good corporate governance. The mission of the I.M.U. at the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung is to promote this approach to codetermination. The Institute for Codetermination and Corporate Governance (Institut für Mitbestimmung und Unternehmensführung, I.M.U.) was launched in early 2018. The I.M.U. is the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung’s vehicle for perpetuating the codetermination success story into the future, bringing to fruition a key policy aim of the DGB and its member trade unions.
This question lies at the heart of a WZB research project. Watch interviews with researchers and practitioners to learn more about: “CoDetermination and Forward Looking Corporate Governance: Measuring Workers’ Strength and Influence with a CoDetermination Index (MB-ix).” This WZB project is financially supported by the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung.
An interview with Prof. Dr. Michael Wolff. The findings show clearly that companies with codetermination not only were more robust during the financial and economic crisis, but also recovered more quickly from its consequences. The study thus underlines the potential of company codetermination for coping with the effects of external shocks, such as the financial and economic crisis.
Why does codetermination have a future? What does codetermination need? What do politicians need to do? Why is there codetermination in the first place? We asked the participants in the Böckler conference for supervisory board members and would like to thank them for what they had to say.
The German job market has been booming for a decade. For most of the employees, this change is associated with significant improvements. Nevertheless, the current development reveals also the downside of the employment boom such as the increasing shortage of skilled labour and an expanding low-wage sector.
Codetermination defines a set of rights that gives employees the possibility of actively participating in the shaping of their working environment. This includes legally stipulated codetermination rights, company agreements devised in conjunction with collective agreements, as well as informal possibilities that have arisen from codetermination practice. Figures, facts and graphics about codetermination. A collection of good arguments for strong workers' voice.
Compositions according to the German laws of 1951 (Coal and Iron and Steel Codetermination Act), of 1976 (Codetermination Act), and of 2004 (One-third Participation Act).
Strengthening workers’ rights at European level not only makes Europe a better place to live for its citizens, it also improves it as a place to do business. Workers’ Voice is the means by which Europe’s social market economy can be made both a democratic and an economic success. We hereby issue an open invitation for people to join in the political discussion and to support this initiative.
The website of our cooperation partner ETUI provides access to what is happening at EU level in the field of employees' rights to information, consultation and board-level representation. Moreover you can find key information on the industrial relations systems of all EU member states in 3 languages.
The Mitbestimmungsportal is the gateway for the I.M.U.’s services for codetermination actors. Employee representatives need comprehensive orientational and practical know-how that is up-to-date, succinct and precisely matches their requirements. This is what the Hans Böckler Stiftung’s online platform Mitbestimmungsportal offers.
Company and service agreements show that workplace practices today are shaping the decent work of tomorrow. We present cases in which codetermination actors and employers have reached agreement on regulations through which they can jointly tackle the consequences of digital and technological developments in ways favourable to the employees.
