Press Release No. 58/2011 Berthold Huber: “The steel sector’s earnings give employees a fair share of the company’s economic success and provide...

Frankfurt/Main – IG Metall President Berthold Huber has given a positive assessment of the collective bargaining agreement for the 75,000 workers in the steel industry in northwestern Germany. “This agreement ensures that employees receive a fair share of the company’s economic success. It is further proof of IG Metall’s sound and reliable collective bargaining policy, even in uncertain times,” Huber said Tuesday in Frankfurt. In addition, he noted, they had succeeded in making the permanent hiring of apprentices the new standard. “This offers younger workers secure prospects for the future. We have thus reached an important milestone,” Huber emphasized.

The 3.8 percent wage increase is effective from December 1, 2011, through February 28, 2013. The collective bargaining agreement has a total term of 16 months. In the future, apprentices must generally be hired on a permanent basis. In addition, the collective bargaining agreement on partial retirement was extended and will continue to allow for earlier retirement in the future. A working group will continue to negotiate new models for fair retirement. Both sides agreed to reach results by the end of the collective bargaining agreement’s term.

The outcome was achieved primarily because thousands of steelworkers had underscored their demands through warning strikes. “Only those who organize in unions can effectively assert their interests in the workplace,” Huber emphasized.