Bei Fragen zum Tarifvertrag hilft der Betriebsrat.

German main clauses put the finite verb in second position. The first position can be taken by many different elements, not just the subject.

Here, Bei Fragen zum Tarifvertrag is placed first for emphasis or topic:

• Bei Fragen zum Tarifvertrag hilft der Betriebsrat.
• Literally: In case of questions about the collective agreement, helps the works council.

Because that whole prepositional phrase is in first position, the verb hilft must come next, and the subject der Betriebsrat comes after it.

A more neutral order is also possible:

• Der Betriebsrat hilft bei Fragen zum Tarifvertrag.

Both are correct.

Here bei means something like:

• with
• in the case of
• when it comes to

So bei Fragen means if there are questions or for questions / with questions.

In this sentence:

• bei Fragen zum Tarifvertrag = with questions about the collective agreement

This use of bei is very common in German:

• Bei Problemen rufen Sie uns an. = If you have problems, call us.
• Bei Interesse melden Sie sich. = If interested, get in touch.

Because bei takes the dative case, and Fragen here is plural.

The noun is:

• singular: die Frage
• plural: die Fragen

In the plural, the dative usually adds -n to the noun, if possible. But Fragen already ends in -n, so nothing changes.

So:

• nominative plural: die Fragen
• dative plural: bei den Fragen or simply bei Fragen

That is why Fragen stays Fragen.

German often omits the article in general expressions like this, especially when speaking broadly.

So:

• bei Fragen = if there are any questions / with questions
• bei den Fragen would sound more specific: with the questions (particular questions already known)

Without the article, the phrase sounds general and natural in informational or official language.

Compare:

• Bei Fragen helfen wir gern. = We are happy to help with any questions.
• Bei den Fragen aus Kapitel 3 = With the questions from chapter 3

zum is a contraction of:

• zu dem → zum

So:

• zum Tarifvertrag = zu dem Tarifvertrag

This contraction is very common and usually expected in normal German.

Other common contractions:

• am = an dem
• im = in dem
• vom = von dem
• zur = zu der

Both could be possible in some contexts, but they are not exactly the same.

• Fragen zum Tarifvertrag = questions relating to / concerning the collective agreement
• Fragen über den Tarifvertrag is less idiomatic here

In German, Fragen zu + dative is a very common pattern meaning questions about/regarding something.

Examples:

• Fragen zum Produkt
• Fragen zur Rechnung
• Fragen zum Kurs

So zum Tarifvertrag is the natural choice.

Because the subject is der Betriebsrat, which is singular.

• der Betriebsrat = the works council
• singular verb: hilft

Even though Fragen is plural, it is not the subject. It is part of the prepositional phrase bei Fragen zum Tarifvertrag.

So the verb agrees with:

• der Betriebsrat → hilft

If the subject were plural, the verb would change:

• Die Betriebsräte helfen. = The works councils help.

Betriebsrat is a masculine noun:

• nominative singular: der Betriebsrat
• accusative singular: den Betriebsrat
• dative singular: dem Betriebsrat
• genitive singular: des Betriebsrats

In this sentence, der Betriebsrat is the subject, so it must be in the nominative case.

That is why it is der Betriebsrat, not den Betriebsrat or dem Betriebsrat.

A Betriebsrat is a works council: a group of employee representatives within a company who represent workers’ interests.

It is not the same as:

• a trade union (Gewerkschaft), which exists outside the company
• a manager or boss

So in this sentence, the idea is that the works council can help employees with questions about the collective agreement.

Tarifvertrag means collective agreement or collective bargaining agreement.

It is made up of:

• Tarif = pay scale / rate agreement context
• Vertrag = contract / agreement

In German labor context, a Tarifvertrag is an agreement between employers or employers’ associations and a union, covering things like:

• pay
• working hours
• vacation
• other employment conditions

Because in German, all nouns are capitalized.

In this sentence, the capitalized nouns are:

• Fragen
• Tarifvertrag
• Betriebsrat

This is one of the most noticeable spelling rules in German and helps you spot nouns quickly.

Yes. That version is completely correct and probably the most straightforward word order for a learner.

Compare:

• Bei Fragen zum Tarifvertrag hilft der Betriebsrat.
• Der Betriebsrat hilft bei Fragen zum Tarifvertrag.

The meaning is essentially the same. The first version gives slightly more emphasis to the situation bei Fragen zum Tarifvertrag. The second begins with the subject and may feel more neutral.

Yes. The verb helfen normally takes the dative object:

• jemandem helfen = to help someone

Example:

• Der Betriebsrat hilft den Mitarbeitern. = The works council helps the employees.

In your sentence, no person being helped is stated directly. Instead, the sentence says in what context the help is given:

• bei Fragen zum Tarifvertrag

So the sentence does not show the usual dative object explicitly, but the verb is still the same verb helfen.