Press Release No. 19/2013 Detlef Wetzel: “Fair Employee Participation and a New Order in the Labor Market”

Paderborn – Detlef Wetzel, second chairman of IG Metall, has sharply criticized the employers’ offer in the collective bargaining round for the metal and electrical industries: “The offer is a non-starter. It is out of the question and a provocation to which the workforces are responding with warning strikes,” said Wetzel in his May 1 speech on Wednesday in Paderborn. “The workforce deserves to share fairly in the industry’s positive development.” IG Metall is demanding a fair share for workers of the approximately 50 billion euros in profits generated by the industry. The employers’ offer does not even cover inflation. “What is achieved together must also be distributed together,” said Wetzel.

Despite the relatively stable situation, many millions of people in Germany are also excluded from social participation. Precarious employment and the low-wage sector are steadily increasing. “That is why the two-tier society in the labor market must be ended. Policymakers are called upon to reorganize the labor market,” Wetzel demanded. Given the scale of the problem, a combination of many measures is needed, such as the introduction of a minimum wage, the regulation of temporary agency work, and regulations that prevent the abuse of service contracts. “When people are exploited or workers’ rights are systematically undermined, this can no longer be viewed as a minor offense, and the penalties must no longer be financed out of petty cash,” said Wetzel. Society will not accept indefinitely that laws exist while people can flout them with a wink. “People who circumvent minimum wages or labor rights are criminals and must be treated as such under criminal law.”

Furthermore, given the impending shortage of skilled workers, a new vision of decent work and a skills development initiative are necessary. These measures must be accompanied by a fundamental reform of pension policy. “Retirement at age 67 is a mistake. We need flexible and fair retirement options for older workers. Those who can no longer work must be able to retire without falling into poverty,” the union leader demanded.