- IG-Metal boss: It's not going to be a simple round of negotiations
Ahead of the September start of wage negotiations in the metal and electrical industry, the IG Metall union in Baden-Württemberg expects tough talks. "The headline is: This won't be an easy round of wage talks," said district leader Barbara Resch to the German Press Agency. The union is demanding a seven percent pay rise for the approximately one million employees in the sector in the southwest, among other things.
One reason for the anticipated difficult talks is the economic downturn. "The problems are clear. We see them and want to address them," said Resch. However, the union and employers are far apart on solutions. "Even if we were to cancel this round of wage talks - which we won't - the problems wouldn't disappear."
Resch said that the wage share is not as high as often portrayed due to highly automated processes in the industry. Instead, one must work on the framework conditions. She mentioned topics such as bureaucracy reduction, skilled labor shortage, and energy costs. "If the metal and electrical industry thinks it can improve its competitiveness by reducing wages, we've lost. There will always be some factory somewhere in the world producing at lower wages," said Resch.
In addition to the pay increase, the IG Metall wants the training remuneration to rise by 170 euros per year of training. This would significantly benefit apprentices. The union also wants improvements in the choice between time and money, among other things. The collective agreement should have a term of 12 months.
"Our employees rightly say that while inflation has decreased, it hasn't yet reached their wallets," said Resch. Moreover, higher wages can generate purchasing power and demand, which stimulates the economy.
Employers criticize the demands. Südwestmetall argues that the current economic situation does not allow for large wage and salary increases. According to the union, many companies are not just struggling due to the economic downturn. They also face deteriorating location conditions. There is no basis for any inflation-related catch-up discussion, according to the union. A tariff result that even roughly meets the IG Metall's demands would overburden many companies, according to the union's chief negotiator, Harald Marquardt, who had previously criticized a "demand above zero" as inappropriate.
The first negotiations in Baden-Württemberg are scheduled to take place before September 16. The regional wage tariff agreements expire nationwide on September 30. After the expiration of the peace obligation, warning strikes could be possible in the conflict from late October. As is customary, a pilot region will be agreed upon during the negotiations, whose outcome the other regions will adopt. Nationwide, around 3.9 million people are employed in the sector.
The union's demands for wage increases extend beyond just the workers' salaries. They also propose a 170 euro annual increase in training remuneration for apprentices, which falls under the category of 'other, including metal'.
Even if the wage talks were postponed or cancelled, the union acknowledges that the underlying issues, such as bureaucracy reduction and skill shortages, would still need to be addressed, which also falls under 'other, including metal'.
