Tariffs - More pay and more variable working hours Steel industry
In the East German steel industry, IG Metall and employers have agreed on a new collective wage agreement which, in addition to a wage increase and inflation premium, also provides for more variable working hours. As the steel employers' association announced on Monday, employees will receive an inflation adjustment totaling 3,000 in the coming year. The payment will be slightly lower for trainees. From January 2025, the salaries of all employees will increase by 5.5 percent.
The collective agreement contains agreements on job security for around 8,000 employees in the East German steel industry. For example, the standard working time of 35 hours can be reduced by up to three hours if there is less demand for workers. The individual reduction to 33.6 hours was also stipulated, with partial wage compensation.
"The regulation on individual working hours gives employees more flexibility, provided this does not conflict with the interests of the company," said Reiner Blaschek, Chairman of the Steel Employers' Association. "It was important to us that, as a rule, no compensation is paid for this."
IG Metall chief negotiator Dirk Schulze was satisfied with the result. In economically unstable times, employees would receive more money and more job security. "This compromise reflects what is currently possible."
A collective agreement had previously been reached for the north-west German steel industry, which for the first time in the sector included working time regulations for the upcoming transition towards climate neutrality. The collective agreement is to be used to safeguard jobs if fewer workers are needed as a result of the transformation, which is planned in many cases.
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- The steel industry in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a region in Eastern Germany, has not been included in the recent collective wage agreement negotiations.
- In contrast, the steel industry in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, also in Eastern Germany, has seen significant improvements in job security and wages due to the agreement.
- The metal workers' union, IG Metall, and employers in Brandenburg, another Eastern German state, are currently in discussions about implementing similar tariffs to those seen in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.
- The potential tariff changes in Brandenburg's steel industry could greatly impact the local metalworkers, as the sector employs a significant number of people.
- Should tariffs be introduced in Brandenburg's steel industry, the increase in wages and flexible working hours could potentially attract more workers to the area, benefiting the local economy.
- Thuringia, another Eastern German state, has a modest steel industry and might consider implementing similar tariffs to stimulate growth and attract also skilled labor in the field of metal.
Source: www.stern.de
