PRESS RELEASE Workers at auto repair shops and car dealerships are staging warning strikes

Frankfurt am Main – Tire changes, repairs, and consultations: Starting Tuesday, services at auto repair shops and car dealerships may be limited. Following a round of negotiations that ended without a resolution and with no offer from employers, IG Metall is calling for warning strikes nationwide.

IG Metall’s collective bargaining board member Nadine Boguslawski says: “Appreciation is low, and the workload in the automotive trade is high. And so far, employers have been sitting idly by at the negotiating table. Warning strikes are now an important catalyst for collective bargaining. Employees want to ensure that employers make concessions. Otherwise, the pressure for skilled workers to leave the industry will intensify.” According to an IG Metall survey of 12,000 employees, 54 percent report that colleagues are leaving their workplaces due to excessive workloads.

To boost purchasing power and secure a skilled workforce, IG Metall is demanding a 6.5 percent pay increase for workers in auto repair shops and dealerships. Apprentices are to receive disproportionately higher pay, with an increase of 170 euros. In addition, the union expects employers to provide solutions to address the particular strain on employees, such as regarding working hours. Auto repair shops and the used-car market, in particular, are currently booming.

A total of 430,000 people are employed in the automotive trade nationwide. 91,000 benefit directly from an IG Metall collective bargaining agreement. Collective bargaining negotiations are conducted regionally by the IG Metall districts. The second round of negotiations begins on April 9 in Lower Saxony.

Note for editorial offices:
For more information on warning strikes, local actions, and negotiations, please contact the press offices of the IG Metall districts: igmetall.de/presse-bezirke