Collective bargaining, the employers’ initial offer, looming warning strikes: The collective bargaining round in the metal and electrical industries is coming to a head. We discuss the latest developments and explain what steps might follow. Plus: What role does the economic situation play in the negotiations?
175,000 Auto industry workers across Germany demonstrated on the day of action. We were there and spoke with employees from Audi Ingolstadt. In addition, works council members explain how “Vorsprung durch Technik” can succeed and why the workers won’t let themselves be divided.
Closures, relocations, job cuts: Auto industry workers are fighting back and sending a strong message during the day of action on September 21. Achim Dietrich, chairman of the ZF General Works Council, discusses, among other things, management mistakes, the causes of the crisis, and why the workers are not to blame.
The shock runs deep: Avnet Logistics announces the closure of its Poing facility. But the workers aren’t giving up. Together with IG Metall, they organize a strike and secure an exceptional collective bargaining agreement—with severance payments of up to 275,000 euros.
Thousands of steelworkers demonstrated in Berlin for their future. In the capital, our colleagues told us what they demand from policymakers: lower electricity prices, closing loopholes in trade protection, and a smarter use of taxpayer money.
More money, fair job classification, better health protection—sounds good, right? This time, we’re talking about the Framework Collective Bargaining Agreement on Pay (ERA), which governs how work is evaluated. We’ll discuss why many workers are misclassified and why it’s worth taking a closer look at your own job description.
Resistance Instead of Giving Up: Yves Weinberger reports on how the works council and employees at Brose Würzburg were able to prevent the closure. Sophia Kielhorn provides insights into how the works council is helping shape the future at Airbus Hamburg and explains what employees need to know about the works council election.
Energy-intensive businesses are suffering from high electricity prices. IG Metall has long been calling for an industrial electricity price of 5 cents. Now there is a draft proposal from the Federal Minister of Economics. We explain why this will not provide the necessary relief and how IG Metall is responding to it.
China is flooding the global market with subsidized cheap products, the U.S. is protecting itself with tariffs—and Europe is just standing by? That cannot be allowed to happen. We explain why we need local content rules—or European content rules.
IG Metall has been fighting for years for better conditions in the temporary staffing sector—through collective bargaining agreements, industry-specific surcharges, and equal pay. Christoph and Jacqueline speak with Torsten Rhau, a works council member at a staffing agency, who reports on the reality and opportunities within these companies.