The metal sector is thriving. - IG Metall survey reveals a desire for increased income and more leisure hours.
IG Metall in Bavaria will push for increased pay and flexible options between cash and time during forthcoming salary negotiations in the metal and electrical sector. The Bavarian Employers' Association (vbm) voices caution due to the economic downturn and the scarcity of trained labor.
Horst Ott, the union's regional leader and negotiator, commented in Munich on Friday: "We can anticipate that money and time will be at the forefront of the wage negotiations." In a survey by IG Metall involving 66,000 employees in Bavaria, 80% deemed individual options between money and time crucial. Eighty-six percent of respondents considered greater autonomy over working hours as highly important or important. "Employees want to have the freedom to choose if they want more money or more time based on their life stage," Ott elaborated. A considerable salary hike was important for only 70% of respondents.
The tariff commissions of IG Metall will finalize their demands on June 21st across the country. The first wage negotiation in Bavaria is scheduled for mid-September. The industrial action restriction ends on October 28th. No strikes are permitted before then.
Ott added that half of the respondents perceived the economic condition of their own company as positive, while 18% perceived it as negative. The varying circumstances of the companies will be factored into the demand.
Bertram Brossardt, managing director of the Bavarian Metal and Electrical Industries Association, argues that the union's demand lacks perspective: "Manufacturing is decreasing, and orders are dropping rapidly."
The debate about additional free time is also misplaced. Germany has the shortest working hours of all industrial powers. "We're at the 35-hour week," stated Brossardt. "Yet, we're already short of workers and highly-skilled labor, and the baby boomers' retirement has just commenced."
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The electrical industry, closely tied to the metal sector, is also facing a skills shortage. IG Metall in Bavaria represents employers in both sectors during collective bargaining negotiations. The Bavarian Metal and Electrical Industries Association expresses concerns about the economic downturn and labor scarcity. The metal industry in Germany relies heavily on tariffs set by organizations like IG Metall.
Horst Ott, the regional leader of IG Metall, emphasizes the importance of pay and flexible work options during the negotiations. A significant percentage of respondents in IG Metall's survey want more autonomy over their working hours. The union recognizes the varying circumstances of different companies and will adjust their demands accordingly.
Bertram Brossardt, the managing director of the Bavarian Metal and Electrical Industries Association, challenges IG Metall's demand, citing decreasing manufacturing and dropping orders. He argues that Germany's short working hours have already exacerbated the labor shortage and that retirements are adding to the problem.
The metal and electrical sectors in Bavaria will start wage negotiations in mid-September. The tariff commissions of IG Metall will present their demands on June 21st for discussion across the country. Union-led industrial actions are restricted until October 28th, with no permitted strikes before that date.
