The Volkswagen Week

Abstract

At the end of 1993, Volkswagen and the Hanover branch of the metalworkers’ union IG Metall, as the parties to the Volkswagen AG company collective agreement, made the headlines. Following negotiations completed in a record 14 days, the negotiating partners had achieved an agreement aimed at safeguarding jobs and company locations which subsequently became known as the “4-day-week”.

The “Volkswagen Week” — a further development of the 4-day week — is the main contribution which collective agreements have made to the breathing company. In terms of working hours, breathing means making maximum use of flexi-time during the day, greater individual control over marking times, and overtime crediting over several years, This is supplemented by the progressive integration of apprentices into full employment and progressive work reduction programmes in the run-up to retirement and through block times and re-entry programmes. The Volkswagen Week utilises a variety of different working time models and farms the central core of our labour relations policy.