Press Release No. 56/2015 Detlef Wetzel: “IG Metall’s reputation has grown far beyond its membership”

Frankfurt am Main – IG Metall President Detlef Wetzel gave a positive assessment of recent years at the union convention in Frankfurt. “Our reputation has grown far beyond our membership. We are a visible presence on the political stage,” Wetzel said on Monday at the Portalhaus at Messe Frankfurt. He attributed this success in part to the strength of German industry. To ensure that German engineering expertise remains a major export success, IG Metall will help shape sound industrial policy. As an example, Wetzel cited the National Platform for Electric Mobility, which IG Metall launched in collaboration with policymakers, companies, and research institutions. IG Metall also founded the “Future of Industry” alliance together with Federal Minister of Economics Sigmar Gabriel and Ulrich Grillo, president of the BDI, which aims, among other things, to improve acceptance of industrial projects.

With regard to the increasing misuse of service contracts for wage dumping, Wetzel criticized employers. “This is a far-reaching strategy. The increasing fragmentation of value chains and the awarding of service contracts are the hallmarks of a new, unbridled form of capitalism,” said Wetzel. Companies are deliberately dismantling workplace agreements and corporate cultures, thereby undermining the social core of the market economy. Within a very short time, outsourcing creates dumping zones and restricts employee participation.

“We do not accept that our colleagues are paid less for the same work. We do not accept that they do not benefit from collective bargaining agreements and that they have no right to co-determination,” said Wetzel. It is of fundamental importance for IG Metall to develop a strategic approach to this issue. Initial steps at the company and collective bargaining levels in this direction have been successful. At the day of action against the abuse of service contracts at the end of September, policymakers were called upon to finally implement the laws announced in the coalition agreement. This primarily concerns an obligation on the part of employers to inform the works councils of the parent companies when work is outsourced via service contracts. In addition, IG Metall demands that works councils have a say in outsourcing decisions.

IG Metall is well-positioned to achieve these goals. “We grew for the fourth consecutive year in 2014 and will stay the course this year as well. We reach out to people, listen closely to what they say, and take their needs seriously,” said Wetzel. Working together with people to develop appropriate policies in each case: that is IG Metall’s vision for the future.

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For more information, visit: http://www.igmetall.de/presse and https://igm-gewerkschaftstag-2015.de/