IRL 420 - Comparative Industrial Relations

DEFINITIONS: Germany

BDA - The Confederation of German Employers' Associations.

CDU/CSU - The Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union - the coalition of two conservative parties.

Codetermination - The joint determination of enterprise policies by representatives of workers and shareholders.

DGB - The German Trade Union Federation - the central trade union federation.

Free Democrats - A centrist, small-business-oriented party which has been part of most of the governing coalitions in post-war Germany.

Greens - A new party emphasizing opposition to nuclear weapons and nuclear power and environmental concerns.

Management Board - Group of three directors responsible for the day-to-day operation of the enterprise.

Party of Democratic Socialists - The party that is largely the successor to the old East German Communist Party. It merged with some other groups in 2005.

SPD - Social Democratic Party - The liberal left party in Germany.

Supervisory Board - Body which is responsible for the overall direction and policies of a company. The rough equivalent of the board of directors of a U.S. corporation.

Ver.di - United Service Sector Union - the product of a merger of several other unions, it is now the largest union in Germany.

Weimar Republic - The democratic constitution under which Germany was governed in the post-World War I period.

Works Councils - Workplace bodies elected by the workers as a whole.