STUDY LABOUR AND SOCIAL JUSTICE TRADE UNIONS IN GERMANY Challenges in a Time of Transition Heiner Dribbusch and Peter Birke April 2019 The general conditions for ­the trade unions have improved after the crisis, the economy has recovered and unemploy­ment has fallen. However, many challenges remain. ­Collective bargaining cover­age is declining and so is the prevalence of works councils. The migration caused by the global refugee crisis touches on the question of trade uni­on solidarity. The workplace has not escaped the shift to the far-right in society. The precariousness of employ­ment, the transformation of the world of work through di­gitalisation and the associated social issues will continue to be key concerns for the trade unions in the years ahead.