Overview
- The WSI counted 286 labor disputes in 2024 with about 912,000 participants, up roughly 55,000 from the year before.
- Strike-related lost workdays fell to 946,000 from about 1.5 million in 2023 as actions were shorter and mostly warning strikes.
- Conflicts shifted toward company and group bargaining as more firms exited sector-wide agreements, prompting pushes for in-house deals.
- Transformation disputes gained prominence, notably at Volkswagen where planned site closures and redundancies were averted after warning strikes and lengthy talks.
- Employers more frequently fought strikes in court using specialized law firms, raising costs for unions and legal risks under Germany’s restrictive strike framework.