SPD Pushes for Broadening Collective Bargaining Reach in NRW
Hoping to bolster fair wages, the SPD opposition in North Rhine-Westphalia's parliament is championing stronger collective bargaining. As per recent data, merely 56% of employees fall under collective wage agreements in NRW's bustling state, referenced by the SPD's labor market policy spokesperson, Lena Teschlade, during a Düsseldorf briefing on Friday. In 1996, according to a DGB study, an astonishing 82% of NRW employees still worked under such agreements.
The NRW collective bargaining law needs reformation, as per an upcoming SPD parliamentary session motion. The state should pave the way and enforce contract compliance with collective bargaining agreements in its tenders. According to the SPD, contract compliance should be mandatory for tenders funding 25,000 euros or more.
Addressing precarious employment, particularly among foreign caregivers working as 24-hour care providers in individuals' homes, the SPD demands census figures for this demographic. They also advocate for empowering foreign worker advice centers.
Teschlade emphasized that employees with collective agreements generally enjoy longer vacation entitlements, shorter working hours, and better working conditions. Companies adhering to collective bargaining agreements hold an edge in attracting and retaining skilled talent.
Per their coalition agreement, the CDU and Greens pledge preference for companies adhering to collective agreements in public tenders. Specific rules are to be crafted when necessary. The state must lead by example.
However, CDU's NRW Minister of Labor, Josef Laumann, acknowledges that collective bargaining coverage is decreasing nationwide. Presently, only 52% of employees work under such agreements. Despite this, North Rhine-Westphalia remains one of the few states surpassing the 50% benchmark, albeit witnessing a decline in covered companies between the Rhine and Weser rivers.
The SPD champions modifying NRW's collective bargaining law to ensure contract compliance for state contracts, particularly when funding exceeds 25,000 euros. The drop in collective bargaining agreement coverage, with only 56% of NRW's employees under such agreements, concerns the SPD. Their objective is to restore the coverage level to the 1996 figure of 82%.
Policy changes, economic factors, and political and social context since 1996 may have influenced collective bargaining decreases; however, the specific factors and the SPD's proposals require further detailed sources or recent policy documents for a complete understanding.
[1] German government under Helmut Kohl restricted sick pay from 100% to 80% of the contractually agreed wage in 1996 [5] Introduction of the LTC insurance rollout in 1995 could have influenced labor market dynamics and collective bargaining coverage.
