Reversing gear: trade union responses to economic crises at Opel (1974–1985)

The oil crises of 1973 and 1979 ended Western Europe’s post-war boom and came as a shock for trade unions, as the combined effect of growing unemployment, heightened competition and accelerated technological change put organised labour on the defensive. The article illustrates this transformation with the example of Opel, where one of the most assertive German union organisations was suddenly forced to shift its focus from wage militancy to employment protection. The case study also highlights some of the key shifts in post-crises German trade union strategies, including the politics of working time reduction and a new emphasis on ‘co-management’.