Editing German model (section)

== Industrial relations ==
[[File:Germany-Tax-Revenues-As-GDP-Percentage-(75-05).JPG|thumb|right|350px|Tax revenues as a percentage of GDP for Germany in comparison to the [[OECD]] and the [[EU 15]], with Germany's rates consistently lower than the latter]]

Under the German model, [[trade union|union]]s are organized at the industry level and co-exist with [[works council]]s at both the plant and company levels.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Vitols |first1=Sigurt |year=2005 |chapter=Globalization and the transformation of the German model
 |editor1-last=Stubbs |editor1-first=Richard |editor2-last=Underhill |editor2-first=Geoffrey R D
 |title=Political Economy and the Changing Global Order |url=http://www2000.wzb.eu/alt/ism/pdf/globalization_and_german_model.pdf
 |edition=3 |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780195419894 |access-date=2014-02-16
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222001041/http://www2000.wzb.eu/alt/ism/pdf/globalization_and_german_model.pdf
 |archive-date=2014-02-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
These unions negotiate wage determination with [[employers' association]]s. The strength of this setup is the cooperation among unions and management councils. This is unique among Western countries, which have been marked by either substantial weakening of union powers (such as in the [[United States]] and [[United Kingdom]] since the 1980s), or consistent union conflict (such as in [[France]] and [[Italy]], where unions have remained strong).