Loophole in German labour legislation to be closed

October 24, 2018

Last week, the German federal government announced that it would be closing a loophole in the country’s labour legislation which has traditionally benefited airlines at the expense of workers.

Under the German industrial relations system workers in companies above a certain size are able to form a ‘works council’, giving them an voice in how the company is run. However, the aviation sector has traditionally been exempt from this legislation. While some legacy carriers like Lufhansa have accepted collective bargaining agreements instead, others like Ryanair have been able to ignore the demands of workers and avoid their social obligations.

On Friday 19 October, the German labour minister Hubertus Heil announced that this loophole will be closed. Airlines will now have to abide by the works council legislation, meaning that workers there will have the same legal right for their voices to be heard. This is a very important step forward in ensuring that all transport workers in Germany enjoy a fair deal.

You can watch Mr Heil make his announcement here:

Our German affiliate union ver.di has long been campaigning for this loophole to be closed. Frank Bsirske, ver.di general secretary, speaks about the challenges facing Ryanair workers:

And Christine Behle, one of ver.di’s board members, reacts to the government’s announcement:

Tags: Germany, Ryanair, ver.di, works council