STORY: In the fifth round of the metal collective bargaining negotiations in Ludwigsburg near Stuttgart, IG Metall and employers are heading towards an attempt to reach an agreement. According to the union, both sides had come closer in the past few days. This means there are chances of a pilot degree. In the past, the district of Baden-Württemberg has repeatedly been a pioneer for collective bargaining agreements in the industry. Before the talks on Thursday, Roman Zitzelsberger, district manager of IG Metall Baden-Württemberg, was cautiously optimistic: “The preferred option A is that the employers finally come into the corridor with us today, that at the end of the day we can find a good solution, that includes the 3,000 euros, so to speak, yes, but above all it is that there is a permanent, strong, sustainable increase in the salaries of employees in percentage form. That’s what it’s about today. And this option A, that’s where we’re going to work hard today to actually get a result.” With warning strikes by hundreds of thousands of employees nationwide, IG Metall put pressure on their demand for eight percent more wages for the 3.8 million employees in the industry. Employers have so far offered a flat-rate increase of EUR 3,000 net for a period of 30 months. Both sides argue with the high inflation and the looming economic crisis. If the negotiations on Thursday are unsuccessful again, the board of IG Metall wants to advise immediately on how to proceed. In this case, 24-hour strikes or an indefinite strike are possible, it said.