IG Metall proposes new top duo: Can turbulence be ended? – Business

At the summer party of IG Metall 2022 in Berlin, the three put their heads together at a food truck: the board members Christiane Benner and Jürgen Kerner and the previous chairman Jörg Hofmann. When they whispered for so long, one observer quipped: “The three are just deciding who will be at the top of IG Metall in the future.”

At first glance, it looks as if that’s exactly what happened: the board of the largest German trade union nominated Christiane Benner (55) as the successor to Jörg Hofmann, who is retiring due to age. The previous chief financial officer, Jürgen Kerner (54), is to assist you as second chairman. In fact, the plan was completely different. Months of confusion lie behind IG Metall, from which it is now trying to break out.

If the congress delegates elect the new leadership duo in autumn, it would be a historic step for the organization with 2.2 million members: For the first time since it was founded 132 years ago, the influential industrial union would be led by a woman. Christiane Benner has served as deputy chair since 2015, a kind of deputy for Hofmann with extended powers. The sociologist has worked for the union for 25 years. She has recently been very concerned with recruiting new members for the male-dominated workers’ organization, for example among employees. SPD member Benner also tried to persuade politicians to expand co-determination in companies.

With the new management duo Benner as boss and Jürgen Kerner as deputy chairman, the union now wants to leave the turbulence of the past few months behind. For the top post, there have been two seeded candidates for years. Kerner was not one of them. The names were: Christiane Benner and Roman Zitzelsberger, district manager in Auto-Herzland, who underpinned his claims in 2022 with a spectacular nationwide wage agreement. Still boss Hofmann absolutely wanted to prevent a power struggle between the two candidates. A similar tug-of-war between two strong candidates had split the union for years two decades ago.

The Crown Prince’s Retreat

Hofmann suggested changing the statutes of IG Metall to make Benner and Zitzelsberger an equal dual leader. Both candidates got together and agreed to a team solution. But like them SZ As reported at the end of March, this amendment to the statutes fell through in the board of directors. Critics, for example, explained that such a change would give Zitzelsberger a career boost. Benner was thus clearly favored for the managerial job. Internally, she explained that she wanted to lead the union in a team with Zitzelsberger without formal dual leadership. Nominally, however, only the runner-up title would have remained for him.

Zitzelsberger, who was ill at the time of the controversial board meeting, suddenly withdrew his candidacy for the top position in mid-April. The 56-year-old justified this with his ailing health. After the fierce collective bargaining round and “a large number of difficult issues” there was a serious overload reaction. Instead, he wants to remain district manager.

“The board has no plan B”

Zitzelsberger’s withdrawal aroused fears that there would still be power struggles over the successor – or that it would take an unreasonably long time to find a partner for Benner. “The board has no plan B,” said an insider at the time. “It was not discussed who could do it in such a case. We must not experience what happened at the German Trade Union Confederation.” At the umbrella organization of trade unions, the question of a successor dragged on for over a year. Among other things, Verdi boss Frank Werneke prevented the appointment of Michael Vassiliadis, head of the sister union IG Chemie, which publicly exposed him.

After Zitzelsberger’s departure left a leadership vacuum, several names were immediately traded for the Vice Chairman post. Including some of the powerful regional heads, i.e. Zitzelsberger’s colleagues in other districts. The now nominated Kerner was already considered a possible quick replacement for the number 2 job.

As the so-called chief treasurer, a kind of head of finance for the union, he already works at the headquarters in Frankfurt and is involved in many important processes. He is also responsible for industry policy, and thus for many industrial sectors. Kerner, who is to be succeeded by Nadine Boguslawski as the new chief financial officer, sits on the supervisory boards of Siemens, MAN and Thyssenkrupp for the union. After becoming managing director of IG Metall in his hometown of Augsburg at the age of 35, he had a meteoric career with the union. He was promoted to the board of directors back in 2011 – at the same time as Christiane Benner, with whom he is now to form the new management duo of IG Metall. So you’ve been working together for a long time and have seen each other often – not just at the food truck at the summer festival last year in Berlin.

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