"Current Transformation Processes on the German Labour Market - Empirical Evidences and Theoretical Explanations"

The objective of the round table on relevant changes in the German system of labour force is to highlight some recent trends on the labour market as well as theoretical explanations by a dialogue between selected German work sociologists. The second title is "Current Transformation Processes on the German Labour Market - Empirical Evidences and Theoretical Explanations". The key note speaker will be Klaus Dörre, professor at the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, an expert on Industrial Relations, Capitalism Theory, Precarious Work and Labour Market Theory.

The German Labour Market has changed dramatically in the last few decades. Starting in about 1990 after the German Reunification and extremely fastened after the Agenda 2010 decisions during the Schröder Government the former "Normalarbeitsverhältnis" in the primarily by huge Industry characterized Society Germany (full time job standard model) has lost its hegemonic character. A broad variety of different and highly flexible, sometimes precarious working contracts have been emerged (part time work, temporary work, freelancer, minijobs etc.). This trend goes hand in hand with a centennial shift in the relevance of Economic Sectors from Industry towards Services. Corresponding to this precarisation of contracts the German Labour Force has been splitted into several distinct arrangements and workforce categories, which range from permanently precarious, imformal and temporal employed to qualified personnel in long-term decent work.

Starting from this backgound the round table will pose several questions towards current conceptual explanations and interpretations by Sociology: Does the German Sociology of Work have not only empirical evidences and results but also a sufficient theoretical tool box and theoretical approaches? Does this not only indicate a transformation of the German Labour Market but also a complete disappearance of the German "Soziale Marktwirtschaft"? And are these trends indicators for a complete transformation of German Capitalism?