In the state election year, IG Metall is demanding a billion-euro Bavarian transformation fund for small and medium-sized companies. The fund is intended to support medium-sized companies in the development of new products and production processes. That’s what the Bavarian district manager Johann Horn said at his annual press conference in Munich. In return for government funding, companies should undertake in particular to maintain locations and jobs in Bavaria. This is intended to prevent companies from receiving state subsidies and then migrating abroad anyway.
“We expect significantly more political support for the change in industry from the future state government,” said Horn. “Our central goal is to create new value creation and thus secure employment in Bavaria.” IG Metall did not give a figure of how many billions the required fund should be equipped with. Large corporations have come through the past three years well to very well, said Horn. “But small and medium-sized companies in particular need help and support in order to have prospects in the future.”
So far there have been no talks with Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (free voters). Horn indicated that from IG Metall’s point of view, Aiwanger has not yet developed any excessive activities for employee interests: “A sympathetic ear alone will not be enough, he then has to take action and follow the positions with action. That sometimes makes it difficult to come to a common solution with Mr. Aiwanger.”
The demographic change is also reflected in the number of members of IG Metall: According to the district manager, the largest German union in the Free State gained 22,070 new members last year, more than a quarter more than in 2021. But the total number of members in Bavaria is over Down slightly by 0.6 percent to 363,428, mainly due to deaths among retirees.