Frankfurt am Main ― At midnight tonight, Monday, the peace obligation in the current collective bargaining round for the metal and electrical industries ends. This means that warning strikes are possible starting Tuesday. Throughout Monday, thousands of metalworkers from hundreds of companies demonstrated as part of a nationwide day of action that they will continue to visibly and effectively champion IG Metall’s demands, even under COVID-19 conditions. Various actions took place at over 150 locations. In Munich, metalworkers gathered for a rally at Theresienwiese, followed by a demonstration; in Kiel, cardboard cutouts of “collective bargaining heroes” were displayed. In Duisburg, a light installation and rally drew attention to the demands of the collective bargaining round, and in Emden, a bicycle demonstration took place with workers from several companies. Virtual lunch breaks, rallies in front of factory gates, and photo campaigns also took place at numerous locations.
The president of IG Metall today resolutely opposed employers’ attacks on collective bargaining gains and demanded substantive proposals: “What employers have presented to us so far are surprise bags with no contents. With this, employers have squandered a great opportunity—the chance to reach a reasonable and sustainable compromise at the negotiating table while the peace obligation is in effect. The burdens of the crisis must now be distributed fairly. We will not accept crisis management that is carried out unilaterally at the expense of workers,” said Jörg Hofmann at an IG Metall event in Crailsheim (Baden-Württemberg).
The highlight and conclusion of the nationwide day of action will be a livestream at 5 p.m. on the union’s website, featuring reports on today’s actions, expert interviews, and live music—for example, by the band Silbermond.
The first warning strikes will then begin overnight: at the Daimler Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen, at Airbus Operations in Hamburg, at Bosch Rexroth in Lohr, at Linde Material Handling in Weilbach, at RF360 Europe in Munich, at Mahle-Behr in Regensburg, and at Bosch Rexroth in Elchingen.
IG Metall is calling for a “future package” for the more than 3.8 million employees in the metal and electrical industries as part of this collective bargaining round. This package includes a 4 percent increase, which—depending on the situation at each company—can be used to boost wages and apprenticeship stipends or to finance measures to secure jobs. In addition, “future-oriented” collective bargaining agreements are intended to identify tailored company-specific solutions that include commitments regarding investments, locations, employment, and training.
You can watch the livestream of the collective bargaining kickoff on Monday, March 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. here: www.igmetall.de/live
Further information and press photos of Jörg Hofmann
