Press Release No. 10/2010 IG Metall: Bundesrat Confirms Need for Action on Temporary Work

Frankfurt – IG Metall has welcomed the Bundesrat’s call to end the abuse of temporary work as a “positive signal.” “The Bundesrat sees a need for action. The federal government must act on this as quickly as possible,” said Detlef Wetzel, second chairman of IG Metall, on Friday in Frankfurt. The federal council rejects “the use of temporary work as a substitute for permanent staff.”

“Abuse isn’t limited to Schlecker; large parts of industry are also attempting to establish a low-wage sector within their companies through temporary work, bypassing collective bargaining structures,” said Wetzel. A study commissioned by the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Labor shows that, among low-skilled workers, there is a wage gap of up to 45 percent between temporary and permanent employees. “If lawmakers do not act quickly, the trend of replacing permanent employees with temporary agency workers will only intensify.”

The principle of “equal pay for equal work” must not be further eroded. Wetzel emphasized that changes to German temporary agency work law are also necessary due to the required implementation of the European Directive on Temporary Agency Work from November 2008. With the next economic upturn, the temporary agency workforce threatens to grow to as many as 2.5 million workers—and this must be prevented. “The reintroduction of a maximum assignment period for temporary agency workers is necessary, as is the binding establishment of equal treatment regarding company benefits, the inclusion of the sector in the Posted Workers Act, the strengthening of works council rights in the user companies, and stricter penalty provisions for violations of legal requirements,” Wetzel demanded.