The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI) is an independent academic institute within the Hans-Böckler-Foundation, a non-profit organisation fostering co-determination and promoting research and academic study on behalf of the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB).
Since it was founded in 1946, the institute's focus has always been on the improvement of life chances, on social justice and fair working and living conditions. Economists, sociologists, political scientists and law scholars work on social, economic and labour market policy issues. On the basis of their analyses, researchers elaborate policy proposals aimed at overcoming labour market restrictions and social problems to the benefit of employees.
In recent years, labour market policy has been challenged by huge structural changes, most of all by the increase in non-standard and often also precarious forms of employment. Moreover, quality of work has changed – growing job-related stress being one major example.
Wage policy
Wage policy, collective bargaining policy and industrial relations have been the main fields of expertise in WSI research and public policy advice for decades.
Research is concerned with welfare state and social policy changes, structural causes for the increase in social inequality, and the search for possibilities to foster a fairer distribution of life chances.
The research area monitors economic, social and political developments on the European level and evaluates the consequences, risks and opportunities for employees, households, firms and the future of the welfare state.
On January 14, the Advocate General at the ECJ recommended that the EU minimum wage directive be annulled. How likely is it that the judges will follow his vote? And what would the consequences be?
The article analyses measures agreed upon by management and works councils to secure jobs during the pandemic, based on the WSI staff and works council survey. Monetary concessions are less common than measures relating to working hours.
The report focuses on unemployment and minimum income benefits for people of working age, finding that social benefits halve the proportion of people at risk of poverty in the EU, from 31% (after taxes, before transfers) to 15.5% (after taxes and transfers).
Comparing competing demands of representation, integration and solidarity – Dutch vis-à-vis German works councils: Data show that despite very similar institutional settings, there are differences in the priorities works councils set in the two countries.
While digitalisation of work offers many benefits, widespread access to digital devices has created new forms of antisocial behaviour. The report maps national regulatory instruments aimed at counteracting antisocial behaviours at work.
Revision of the Posted Workers Directive: trade unions and left-wing parties had been fighting for it for over 10 years – with a surprising success in June 2018. Daniel Seikel reconstructs and analyzes the political process of the revision.
Based on case studies, this policy brief investigates how relevant actors pursue a green and just transition using a partnership approach in eight EU regions (including the Rheinisches Revier in NRW Germany) facing particular challenges as a result of the phase-out of fossil fuels.
Inflation is wiping out the gains made by collective bargaining: In many EU countries, collectively agreed wage rates are below their 2015 level when adjusted for inflation. Hence, wages still need to catch up.
