Avoid endless strikes. The principle of “tariff unity” (“one company, one collective agreement”) which prevents competition between conflicting collective agreements for a single group of employees, isn’t written down in an act but is the result of important case law dating back to the 50s. According to the DGB and the BDA, this principle is one of the “pillars for autonomous negotiations” between the social partners (“Tarifautonomie”), helping push conflict outside the company and guarantee social peace. Yet, they think that tariff unity is increasingly questioned by the arrival of small unions that only defend the interests of one trade, which often has a strategic role within businesses, such as doctors (Marburger Bund), train drivers (GDL) or even jet pilots (Cockpit). Dieter Hundt, leader of the BDA, thinks that the presence of several collective agreements for a single group of employees leads to many practical problems for businesses. “Imagine, for the same group of employees in a company, that a collective agreement sets the work week to 40 hours while another provides for 37 hours (…). For employers, tariff unity is vital, because we can’t allow constant conflicts within businesses.” Michael Sommer, leader of the DGB, thinks that tariff unity also allows avoiding that employees fight against each other. An act ensuring this principle would also help the DGB to weaken rival unions.
, train drivers (GDL) or even jet pilots (Cockpit). Dieter Hundt, leader of the BDA, thinks that the presence of several collective agreements for a single group of employees leads to many practical problems for businesses. “Imagine, for the same group of employees in a company, that a collective agreement sets the work week to 40 hours while another provides for 37 hours (…). For employers, tariff unity is vital, because we can’t allow constant conflicts within businesses.” Michael Sommer, lea
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