421 voting delegates will participate in this year’s Union Congress, taking place October 22–26 in Frankfurt. They were elected by secret ballot at the delegate assemblies of their local offices. In addition, the IG Metall bylaws provide for other participants who support the Union Congress in an advisory capacity. These include the members of the Executive Board, the Audit Committee, the district directors, and the advisory board members elected in the districts.
Where do the delegates come from?
The distribution of delegates reflects IG Metall’s membership structure. The two districts with the largest membership—North Rhine-WestphaliaandBaden-Württemberg—provide the most delegates, with 94 and 82, respectively. They are followed by the districtsof Bavaria(70),Central Germany (58),Lower Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt(51). TheCoastal District (36) and theBerlin-Brandenburg-SaxonyDistrict (30) send roughly the same number of delegates.
Women and Men Among the Delegates
IG Metall’s bylaws stipulate that women must, as a general rule, be represented in governing bodies and committees at least in proportion to their share of the membership. This means that since 18 percent of IG Metall members are women, at least 18 percent of the delegates must also be women. In fact, 142 of the 421 delegates are women, which amounts to 34 percent.
Age and Employment
41 delegates are younger than 27. 380 delegates are older than 27. The youngest delegate at this union convention is 19 years old, and the oldest is 73.
Guests
Traditionally, a large number of guests also attend IG Metall’s union conventions. These include, for example, representatives from other unions, political parties, or the business community—as well as international guests. To ensure the union convention runs smoothly, many IG Metall colleagues and several external service providers—including technical staff—are working behind the scenes on site.
