Works councils and the digitalisation of manufacturing: Opportunity or threat for their power position?

In the course of the so-called ‘digital transformation’, the digitalisation of manufacturing is on the agenda in many companies. Are works councils, as an important form of workplace representation of employees’ interests, prepared to bring employees’ interests into company digitalisation processes, and does this affect their own position of power? To answer these questions, four in-depth qualitative case studies of works councils from German industrial companies are conducted. The results show that works councils can rely on important resources in the bargaining of digitalisation processes. Through the combination of resource use with other factors, such as the perception of digitalisation and the (un)willingness of management to involve works councils, three different constellations can be identified under which dealing with digitalisation represents an opportunity or a threat for works councils.