Services under collective labour law

e.g. corporate restructuring and changes in business operations

We adopt a pragmatic, down-to-earth approach to collective labour law. As a result of many years of representing employees and works councils, we could hardly be in a better position to understand the workings of employee representative bodies. We are sensitive to the psychological processes at work among employees and are able to build them into the solution. At the same time, this work has broadened our own horizons, equipping us to precisely gauge the different interests of employers and employees.

We advise all who are involved when a company reorganises its business operations – works councils, trade unions or employers. Our aim is to reach a sustainable compromise and we lay great store on achieving the acceptance of all concerned.

Pflüger Rechtsanwälte sees the German regulations governing industrial relations as laying the foundation for settling disputes in corporate life. When company structures have to be changed, the Works Council Constitution Act ensures that employees are involved in any solutions which may affect them.

In the case of complex reorganisation measures, we consider it vital for employee representative bodies to be consulted at an early stage in the procedure. To avoid frictional loss, these bodies should be involved before a planned change of business operations actually takes place. Important issues – such as establishing a new management structure – need to be resolved. Anxiety starts to spread among employees as soon as a prospective merger is announced. If the company does not contact the works council until co-determination procedures can no longer be avoided, the price to pay could be the loss of crucial support.

Our work starts well before a change of business operations becomes reality. We assess the procedures under company law and help to work out a clear negotiation strategy. We design a negotiation process which places discussions on an objective plane. In doing so, we employ a settlement technique which ensures that agreements reached by the parties involved are accurately expressed in legal terms.

As part of the statutory co-determination process we negotiate the reconciliation of interests and the social plan. Our experience allows us to develop models that are tailored to the situation. Our work extends to the implementation of measures for individual staff members.

Our lawyers have conducted a number of seminars in the past. We run training courses for works councils and companies.