We represent
    your interests

    According to your needs

    In Germany, interaction between employers and employees is defined primarily by 4 players: the employers, the employers’ associations, the trade unions and the works councils, based on the Works Council Constitution Act and other statutory regulations.

    bayme vbm is committed to your success

    bayme vbm is committed to your success

    We organize the representation of our members’ interests in political action areas, set agendas and conduct lobbying.

    • Lobbying / representing interests
    • ServiceCenters and advice
    • Coaching and representation in the fields of labor law, labor economics and social law
    • Information, publications, training courses, tools
    • Networking and events
    • Collective bargaining policy (vbm)
    • Provision for future and junior staff development

    The employers and their associations

    The employers and their associations

    In Bavaria, employers can enter into agreements directly with employees or they are concluded on the basis of collective bargaining agreements, which are negotiated between the employers’ associations on behalf of their member companies and the trade unions.

    We represent the collective economic, social and political interests of more than 80 percent of all companies with headquarters or subsidiaries in Bavaria. Our members come from the engineering industry, the electronics and electrotechnical industries, the optical industry, information technology and industries manufacturing other metal products. Related and associated branches of the service sector such as marketing and telecommunications companies are also represented by bayme vbm.

    The Trade Unions

    The Trade Unions

    The trade unions represent the interests of the employees and recruit their members directly from companies—regardless of whether a company is a member of vbm or bayme, or whether it applies the industry-wide collective agreement or not. The trade unions (e. g. IG Metall) are the negotiating party with the employers’ association vbm in collective bargaining.

    The Works Council

    The Works Council

    A works council may be elected by the employees at any time, regardless of whether a company is a member of an employers’ association or not. The works council has certain rights of participation and co-determination in personnel, social and economic matters. It also represents the interests of the employees as regarding the observance of labor legislation and collective and company agreements. bayme vbm advise its members on its dealings with the works council.

    You have the choice

    You have the choice

    Employment conditions: with or without a collective bargaining agreement

    In principle, work time and its remuneration (basic pay) in Germany can be regulated only by way of collective bargain- ing agreement or by individual agreement. So there are two different ways of regulating employment conditions that form the basis for employment contracts in a company:

    Employment contracts with collective bargaining agreement

    Represented by the vbm, the employers negotiate the industry-wide collective agreement with the trade unions. A company may accept this agreement or conclude a separate internal company agreement with e.g. IG Metall, the metalworkers’ trade union. The employment contract with the individual employee must not conflict with applicable collectively agreed provisions.

    		Arrangements that deviate from these provisions are admissible if permitted by the collective bargaining agreement or if they include changes in favor of the employee. An employee who is a member of a trade union cannot effectively relinquish entitlements he has been granted by the collective agreement. We provide our members with advice and support in all of these matters.

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    Employment contracts without collective bargaining agreement

    In companies without collective agreement coverage, employers and employees are free to agree the employment conditions, provided the legally admissible limitations set by law are observed. Care must be taken to ensure that certain employee protection provisions are not circumvented (e. g. protection against dismissal, working hours, part-time employment and fixed-term employment).

    		If a company has a works council, certain aspects of the working conditions in the company, e.g. systems covering working hours, can only be agreed with the works council. bayme vbm provides advice on working conditions.

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