IAQ Report on the Automotive Industry
A Fair Transition?
- von Katja Goepel
- 16.07.2026
The transformation of Germany's automotive industry is putting increasing pressure on both employees and companies. The Institute for Work, Skills and Training (IAQ) at the UDE has examined how this transformation can be made fair under current conditions. The findings show that company-level instruments can support the transition, but are increasingly reaching their limits in the face of cost pressures and workforce reductions.
For the report, IAQ researchers Alexander Bendel and Prof. Dr. Thomas Haipeter analysed three case studies from the automotive industry conducted as part of the German Research Foundation (DFG)-funded project Digital and Ecological Transformation in the Regulatory Environments of Industrial Relations. The study (in German only) is based on interviews with works council members, union representatives, shop stewards and management representatives, as well as analyses of company- and sector-level agreements. The participating companies remain anonymous.
The interviews reveal that so-called future agreements—negotiated between employers and employee representatives to address issues such as investment, product strategies, workforce training and site development—are coming under increasing cost pressure. “Works councils are having to accept concessions on working conditions in order to safeguard jobs, at least temporarily,” explains Alexander Bendel.
The researchers also examined the instrument From One Job to Another, which is intended to help employees move from jobs that are being phased out into new positions, ideally within the same region. According to the report, this approach is currently meeting with only limited success. Such transitions require both the companies shedding jobs to invest in training and placement, and other companies to recruit staff. “At present, companies are primarily focused on reducing their workforce and lowering labour standards. That makes it difficult to build effective bridges into new employment,” says Prof. Thomas Haipeter.
The authors conclude that fair transformation processes can hardly be secured at company level alone. Whether instruments such as future agreements or From One Job to Another succeed depends largely on the broader economic and political framework. They argue that trade unions should therefore use their political influence to help shape these conditions. This includes, among other measures, competitive energy prices, the expansion of electricity and hydrogen infrastructure, and the promotion of green lead markets.
Publication (in German only):
Alexander Bendel, Thomas Haipeter (2026): Fair Pathways Through the Transformation for Employees in the Automotive Industry? An Empirical Analysis of the Regulatory Instruments “Future Agreements” and “From One Job to Another”. Duisburg: Institute for Work, Skills and Training (IAQ). IAQ-Report 2026-07.
Further information:
Alexander Bendel, Institute for Work, Skills and Training (IAQ), +49 203 3794529, alexander.bendel@uni-due.de
Editor:
Katja Goepel, Press Officer, Institute for Work, Skills and Training (IAQ), katja.goepel@uni-due.de