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Reversing gear: trade union responses to economic crises at Opel (1974–1985)

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  • Thomas Fetzer

Abstract

The oil crises of 1973 and 1979 ended Western Europe’s post-war boom and came as a shock for trade unions, as the combined effect of growing unemployment, heightened competition and accelerated technological change put organised labour on the defensive. The article illustrates this transformation with the example of Opel, where one of the most assertive German union organisations was suddenly forced to shift its focus from wage militancy to employment protection. The case study also highlights some of the key shifts in post-crises German trade union strategies, including the politics of working time reduction and a new emphasis on ‘co-management’.

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  • Thomas Fetzer, 2017. "Reversing gear: trade union responses to economic crises at Opel (1974–1985)," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(1), pages 141-157, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:bushst:v:59:y:2017:i:1:p:141-157
    DOI: 10.1080/00076791.2016.1223627
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    1. Rehder, Britta, 2003. "Betriebliche Bündnisse für Arbeit in Deutschland: Mitbestimmung und Flächentarif im Wandel," Schriften aus dem Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung Köln, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, volume 48, number 48.
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