Four-day week later
IG Metall is more reserved in the metal industry
September 16, 2023, 11:20 a.m
In the steel industry, IG Metall wants to pave the way for the four-day week. When it comes to the metal and electrical industries, however, the union is still holding back. However, that does not mean that she is giving up on her demand.
The industrial union IG Metall is unlikely to demand a four-day week in the metal and electrical industries for the time being. “From today’s perspective, I don’t see that the four-day week will be on IG Metall’s list of demands next year,” said IG Metall boss Jörg Hofmann to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”. “I see this as a longer-term issue.”
Hofmann continued that his union would take into account the competitiveness of the German metal and electrical industry. “We are not naïve and say: Tomorrow we are aiming for a four-day week with full wage compensation in all of our industries. We pay attention to the development of costs and productivity, but also to a fair distribution.”
The current collective agreement for the approximately 3.9 million employees in the metal and electrical industry in Germany runs until autumn 2024. In the upcoming collective bargaining negotiations, IG Metall will focus on higher wages and salaries and not on shorter working hours and the four-day week, Hofmann said.
“In the long term, we can’t avoid it.”
In principle, however, the IG Metall boss is sticking to his demand for a four-day week, which has been heavily criticized by employers. According to the union’s efforts, the weekly working hours should be shortened from 35 to 32 hours with full wage compensation. “In the longer term, we cannot avoid making such working time models possible for everyone,” he said.
The comparatively small steel industry is expected to be a pioneer. Last week, the collective bargaining commission decided on 8.5 percent more wages as a recommendation for employees in the north-west and east German steel industry. The collective bargaining commission also advocated reducing working hours to 32 hours per week to protect health. This is important so that employees can “get through the upheaval in their industry well.” On September 18th, the IG Metall board decided on its specific demands for the steel collective bargaining round.