Unions in Germany: Regaining the Initiative?

This article analyses union strategies in six different arenas. It argues that although German unions pursue a wide range of projects and activities, these do not constitute a focused strategy for revitalization. While the breadth of activities is impressive, there is no strategic priority; nor have unions developed a coherent strategy which would combine the strengths of the different approaches pursued within the six arenas. An important part of the explanation for this shortcoming lies in a growing imbalance between the unions' capacity for autonomous action and their embeddedness in an extensive array of institutional arrangements.