Press Release No. 23/2010 IG Metall Calls for More Stress Prevention in the Workplace

Frankfurt am Main – In light of the rising incidence of mental health issues among workers, IG Metall has called on companies to take action. “Mental health issues threaten to become the widespread disease of the 21st century unless the root causes are addressed in the workplace,” said Hans-Jürgen Urban, executive board member of IG Metall, on Friday in Frankfurt. According to IG Metall, mental health issues are primarily attributable to the rise in work-related stress and psychological strain in the workplace. This has been confirmed by reports from works councils.

First and foremost, the topics of stress and mental health must be able to be addressed openly in workplaces without taboos. “Early warning systems are needed in workplaces to enable a timely response to stress-inducing and psychologically taxing working conditions,” Urban demanded.

IG Metall is collaborating with the Association of German Occupational and Factory Physicians to combat psychological strain in the workplace. In a joint position paper, both associations have called for more qualified counseling and health promotion.