Germany's Industrial Relations System at Risk? | 11 comments (11 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Germany's Industrial Relations System at Risk? (none / 0)

Very good job.

I was getting ready to post a diary on this IHT article about the scandal at VW, and the wider question of codertermination. I know that this is own of the things I admire about Germany, and I'm sad that it seems to be under attack.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Tue Jul 19th, 2005 at 12:13:52 AM EST

Re: Germany's Industrial Relations System at Risk? (none / 0)

The money quote from the piece you linked to typifies exactly what is wrong with our modern media:

Co-determination is not the only, and not even the major, culprit for Volkswagen's woes. But it has sounded an early warning that it's a model due for a major revamp.

Well, OK, if codetermination is not even the major culprit for VW's woes, let alone the whole German economy's, then why are they wasting time piling on? Why don't they write about the REAL problems with the German economy?

I guess I shouldn't complain about the piece so much, since at least IHT is pretty even-handed in putting forth the benefits of the system.

And there may indeed be a problem with too-cozy insider relationships at the top of German firms. But that's hardly a problem that switching to the "Anglo-Saxon" model is going to solve.

by TGeraghty on Tue Jul 19th, 2005 at 01:23:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Germany's Industrial Relations System at Risk? (none / 0)

Yep, the IHT article seems more than a little unduly critical of the system. The subtle stereotyping of working class people as being untrustworthy, because they'll spend corporate funds on hookers <so sayeth the IHT>. I guess that I'm fascinated by the neocorporatism that you see in Germany, and I can't help but think that the US was headed in this direction until the 1960's, but the reermergence of the neo-liberal right attacked this. It's convenient to dimiss this as an American problem, but I think that you made a good point calling this the Anglo-Saxon system. So much of America's new neoliberal ideology is not American, but actually is transplanted from the UK.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Tue Jul 19th, 2005 at 12:18:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Germany's Industrial Relations System at Risk? | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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