As of: 06/20/2022 4:41 p.m
IG Metall wants to push through wage increases of between seven and eight percent for employees in the metal and electrical industry. The board recommended this to the collective bargaining districts, said IG Metall boss Hofmann.
In the collective bargaining round for employees in the German metal and electrical industry, IG Metall wants to demand seven to eight percent more money. The union board decided on a corresponding recommendation, as the first chairman Jörg Hofmann said. It is also about maintaining the purchasing power of citizens for private consumption. If private consumption collapses, a recession could threaten.
From the point of view of the union, after the recent Corona agreements, given the good order situation of many companies and high profits, it is time for wages and salaries to be increased permanently. However, the tariff policy cannot compensate for the high inflation and rapidly rising prices for gas and electricity. This requires a further relief package from the federal government.
New collective agreement for twelve months
In its recommendation, IG Metall bases its recommendation on inflation and productivity development and, in view of the high profits of large automotive groups such as BMW and Mercedes, adds a redistribution component. The new collective agreement is to run for twelve months.
The recommendation is not yet the final requirement. This will be discussed in the regional wage committees on June 30th. It is about a specific number within the range of seven to eight percent, said Hofmann. The board of directors wants to decide on the demand for further discussions in the collective bargaining districts on July 11th.
Peace obligation until the end of October
The contracts for employees in the core sectors of German industry, which include vehicle construction and mechanical engineering, expire at the end of September. Hofmann hopes that the negotiations can be concluded in November if all goes well. The peace obligation ends on October 28. Warning strikes are possible after expiration.
The agreement negotiated with employers in North Rhine-Westphalia last year provided for a corona bonus of 500 euros and an annual “transformation money”. This should be paid in February 2022 in the amount of 18.4 percent of a monthly salary. From 2023 it will rise to 27.6 percent and can also be used to reduce working hours.