Germany: The public sector in the financial and debt crisis

In this article I analyse the changing contours of public sector employment relations in Germany during and after the financial and debt crisis. In order to understand what is distinctive in German experience and what is similar with that elsewhere, I provide a comparative perspective of selected EU member states, especially Austria. First, I describe in some detail the impact of various austerity measures on public sector employees. Second, I analyse collective consequences and challenges for corporate actors and labour market institutions, especially unions and collective bargaining. Third, I offer a brief prognosis for future developments.