STORY: One day before the potentially decisive negotiations in the wage dispute in the metal industry, IG Metall mobilized again. In Mannheim, around 3,500 employees in the industry took to the streets to emphasize their demands. IG Metall is demanding eight percent more remuneration with a term of twelve months in order to at least partially compensate for inflation. So far, employers have offered a flat-rate increase of EUR 3,000 net for a period of 30 months. The employers have to move now, says the managing director of IG Metall Mannheim, Thomas Hahl: “After two months, the employer still hasn’t taken the opportunity to put an offer on the table. People are angry, the people are here. Tomorrow is the next collective bargaining and if the employers don’t move, we can move even more.” The union considers a strong increase in wages to be affordable, since many companies are earning well and have full order books.Employers are blocking this because many smaller companies could collapse under the even greater cost pressure.In the fifth round of negotiations on Thursday in Baden-Württemberg IG Metall announced a pilot degree, and employers were also optimistic that it could be successful.