A good four million employees
IG Metall wants seven percent more – tough wage round looms
17.06.2024, 13:29
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The order books are full, and more so than usual. With this reference to the good order situation, IG Metall is going into the internal vote before the next round of wage negotiations. The employers recently incurred the wrath of employee representatives by calling for a zero round of wage negotiations.
In the upcoming round of collective bargaining, IG Metall wants to demand a wage increase of seven percent over a twelve-month period for the approximately 3.9 million employees in the metal and electrical industries. Training allowances should be increased by 170 euros per month, the union announced after a board meeting. In addition, a social component should take pressure off lower pay groups in companies.
“Companies have a comfortable backlog of orders, and employees have to work hard,” said Nadine Boguslawski, head of collective bargaining. The order books have been full for over a month longer than normal. “The one-off payments made by employers under the last collective agreement have been eaten up by inflation.”
Before recommending its demands, IG Metall surveyed 318,000 employees in the industry. This recommendation made by the board is now being discussed in the union’s regional bargaining districts. The IG Metall board is expected to decide on the final demands on July 9.
The round of collective bargaining is shaping up to be complicated. Employers have recently called for a zero round of wages, citing the weakened inflation and the 2022 collective agreement. Union leader Benner describes this as “disrespectful” and a “slap in the face of employees”. In an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, she has already threatened strikes. The first negotiations in the collective bargaining areas will take place by September 16 at the latest. The peace obligation ends on October 28, so warning strikes are not possible until October 29 at the earliest.