노동시간 유연화와 시간주권의 정치: 독일 ‘근로시간계좌제’의 사례

While the future direction of the policy of working time flexibilization is attracting great public attention in South Korea, this study investigates the case of the German ‘Working Time Account (Arbeitszeitkonto)’ from the standpoint of the workers’ time sovereignty, power relations between employers and workers, and the role of the state in protecting workers’ rights and autonomy. The focus is on (1) the role of the Works Council (Betriebsrat) and the institutions of co-determination, (2) the actual use of the Working Time Account for the purpose of enterprises and workers, and (3) the efforts of the government and parliament to promote workers’ autonomy and time sovereignty. The results of the study found that in Germany, the co-determination system of the Works Council plays a key role in the operation of the system, but the detailed procedural rules may contain factors that favor the enterprise. In addition, although the actual use of the system was not only for the interest of the enterprises, but also for the time autonomy and work-life balance of workers, the difference in the utilization of the system was large depending on the size of the enterprise and the type of employment. Furthermore, the paper shows that the German government has been increasingly active in legislating to prevent workers from being disadvantaged by layoffs, turnover, corporate bankruptcy, management deterioration, and violations of the agreement by employers.