Working Time Consultation in Automotive Supplier Companies

The traditional company experiences fluctuating utilization. Often, capacity requirements are changed at short notice by the customer, so the company wants to respond by flexibilizing operational and working hours.
The works council claims production and planning weaknesses within the company, which makes an extension of the operating time additionally necessary to compensate for existing shortcomings. Against this background, an expansion of working time flexibility is viewed very skeptically.
The company parties have been in the aftermath of a terminated working time agreement for months without making any significant negotiation progress; the lines are drawn and EWR is brought in as an external expert.

To analyze the situation, existing agreements are reviewed and the company's practices are recorded in separate rounds with the works council and management. Furthermore, the market-side flexibility requirements for the company are evaluated.
Together with the works council, suggestions for optimizing planning and work organization are developed in order to be able to reduce the time volume.
The framework conditions for a collective agreement-compliant, flexible working time agreement are determined together with the responsible trade union and the works council.
In a joint round with the employer, the proposals from the employee side are presented and discussed. Differences and commonalities with the employer's perspective are worked out.
The points of contention are dealt with as part of a demanding negotiation process. As part of this, specific shift models and procedural rules for regulating working hours are found together. EWR continuously accompanies the works council during this negotiation process.

A works agreement on the flexibilization of working hours is concluded. This includes, in addition to the regulation of working time accounts, specific shift models in the event of an extension of operating hours, optimization measures in the company, and expanded co-determination opportunities for the works council in matters of capacity and working time planning.
After 1/2 year of the works agreement's term, the implementation of the works agreement is checked together with all participants. EWR prepares the corresponding evaluation together with the works council.
Overall, and despite some difficulties, the works council rates the agreement very positively for both employees and the company. Its position as an effective representative of interests is strengthened vis-à-vis the workforce and company management.