Employers Associations
AGV NORD Allgemeiner Verband der Wirtschaft Norddeutschlands e.V., Germany: www.agvnord.de
400 companies with 38.000 employees in total, mainly from the metalworking- and electrical engineering industries but also from others, are organized in the AGV NORD (General association of businesses in North Germany). It is NORDMETALL’s sister organization with the difference that the AGV NORD member companies are not be bound to accord to collective agreements. The AGV NORD covers the same regional area as NORDMETALL, uses the same offices and staff and offers the same services to its members except for tariff matters.
NORDMETALL Verband der Metall- und Elektroindustrie e.V.: www.nordmetall.de
The employers` federation, NORDMETALL, is a consortium of 250 companies from the metal and electrical industries in Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein and northern Lower Saxony. The federation represents the interests of a key industry in the north with 110,000 employees vis a vis the trade unions, politics, administration and the media. With the collective labour agreements NORDMETALL is able to shape labour relations and conditions. In addition the federation offers legal advice and consultancy in a variety of HR matters to its members. The “NORDMETALL foundation” supports numerous scientific, cultural and social work projects. Education is a particularly strong focal point for the federation and projects for kindergardens, schools, management, trainers and workers` councils are on offer throughout the north.
UVNord Vereinigung der Unternehmensverbände in Hamburg und Schleswig-Holstein e.V.: www.uvnord.de
VUMV Vereinigung der Unternehmensverbände für Mecklenburg-Vorpommern e.V., Germany: www.vumv.org
Trade Unions
Nord Confederation of German Trade Unions Region North DGB Nord: www.nord.dgb.de
The Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB) is the umbrella organization of eight affiliated member unions and represents the interests of about 6.2 million members in Germany. The DGB represents the German trade union movement in dealing with the government authorities at federal state and national level, the political parties, the employers’ organizations and other social or economic groups and NGO’s within the society. The DGB is a member of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
The DGB Nord (Northern Germany) represents round about 460,000 trade union members in the federal states of Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The DGB North is member of the Baltic Sea Trade Union Network (BASTUN).
The DGB coordinates joint demands, themes and campaigns for it 8 member unions. The DGB itself is not directly involved in collective bargaining and cannot conclude pay agreements.
The DGB and the member unions have no allegiance to political parties or religious denominations and they are politically independent but not neutral. They fight for democracy and human rights and are opposed to political extremism.
The trade unions have their foundations in the world of work. Unemployed people, trainees and students can also join a union if they wish.
Every four years 100 delegates representing all the affiliated trade unions in the DGB Northern Germany meet for the Regional DGB Congress. They take strategic decisions for the following years and elect the president and his deputy.
The DGB has equal entitlement to representation in the executive bodies for the self-regulation of social insurance funds – compulsory health, accident and pension insurance funds – as well as in the Federal Office of Employment.
Berlin Confederation of German Trade Unions Berlin DGB Berlin: www.berlin-brandenburg.dgb.de