Volume 79 (2026), Issue 4

This article deals with a long-term consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic which has hardly been discussed so far. Based on qualitative interviews with technical and administrative employees from four traditional industrial firms, it shows that the...

Alongside electrification, the redesign of software under the heading of “software-defined vehicle” is considered to be a key driver of the automotive transformation. At first glance, this trend appears to open new growth opportunities for...

This article presents findings of a qualitative study on right-wing sentiment in the workplace, which follows on from an initial study conducted almost ten years ago. The finding that the workplace provides a breeding ground for the far right has...

Despite gains over the past two years, negotiated wages in Europe have not yet fully offset the losses in purchasing power incurred during the high-inflation years of 2022 and 2023. This catch-up process is likely to stall this year, given the...

Brexit profoundly transformed the institutional foundations of European Works Councils (EWCs). Until 2020, the United Kingdom was represented in about 70 % of EWCs ; since its withdrawal from the EU, the obligation to include UK members no...

Collective bargaining coverage and the representation by works and staff councils have gradually but steadily declined in recent years. In 2025, around 43 % of employees in western Germany and around 34 % of employees in eastern Germany worked...