Trade union shopfloor representation in Germany

Most publications on German industrial relations tend to focus on works councils but miss trade union delegates and senior delegates. Seeking to address this lack of research, a case study of a large manufacturing plant is used to examine the role of union delegates and senior delegates and their relationship to works councils. The case study seeks to show why works councils are inextricably linked to the union movement, even though both are structurally separated. Research findings support the notion that both are in a mutually supportive relationship. Furthermore, the evidence also suggests that trade union shopfloor representation is of crucial importance for works councils, industrial democracy and trade unions in German industrial relations.