Summary / Resumé
Arnd Küpper: The end of the free collective bargaining?
The future validity of the traditional German social market economy, which seeks to reconcile the principles of the free market and social balance, has been questioned over the last years. At the core of criticism there were various social and legal regulations , among others the issues of free collective bargaining, with which this paper will deal. It shows that in view of the employers‘ economic power the system of collective bargaining and its protective function for the employee is still indispensable. A fl aw of the existing system, however, is the fact that so-called corporate agreements for work have no legal framework so far. In this context an limited amendment in labour law will be necessary.