Press Release No. 48/2015 IG Metall Calls for Solidarity with Refugees and Provides Immediate Assistance

Frankfurt am Main – IG Metall has called on its members and the workforce to show solidarity with refugees and all social forces advocating for the rights of refugees and their integration. “Germany faces an enormous challenge in light of rising refugee numbers. Politicians and civil society are adapting to this situation and are implementing initial measures. This is an important political signal; IG Metall will support a refugee policy based on solidarity and sustainability with all its might,” said Detlef Wetzel, First Chairman of IG Metall, on Tuesday in Frankfurt. IG Metall condemns any violence against refugees in the strongest possible terms. The rule of law must consistently prosecute and punish these perpetrators of violence, according to a statement from the union’s executive board.

To support a refugee policy based on solidarity, IG Metall has also initiated its own immediate measures. “They are intended to help ensure that refugees are welcomed and integrated as quickly and as effectively as possible,” said Wetzel. IG Metall is making a total of 500,000 euros available to its local chapters for activities supporting refugees and is calling on its members to advocate for comprehensive integration, including into the labor market. Through sponsorship and mentoring programs, IG Metall will support the integration of refugees at the local level.

In its statement, the union calls on employers to create training and employment opportunities for refugees—without exploiting the current situation for wage dumping. Refugees must not be exploited to dismantle existing social protection and regulatory frameworks within our labor and social systems. In particular, the planned lifting of the ban on temporary agency work for asylum seekers and individuals granted temporary residence status after three months sends the wrong signal, as it creates new opportunities for abuse that could lead to an expansion of temporary agency work.

“The guiding principle must be to create prospects and security in the labor market for everyone,” said Wetzel. This requires effective labor market oversight by the relevant institutions. The Federal Employment Agency (BA) must be involved early on in the reception process to identify the existing qualifications of asylum seekers. IG Metall views improving language skills as the key to successful integration. To successfully implement the necessary measures, significantly more financial resources and additional staff at the BA are required. Furthermore, early integration into the labor market would significantly relieve the burden on the social welfare system in the medium and long term.

At the same time, the IG Metall Executive Board outlined key points for a refugee policy based on solidarity. These include a European solution with a fair distribution of the burden among European countries, as well as the implementation of uniform, humane standards across the EU for the reception of refugees. “The attempt to reach Europe or, within Europe, the countries of their choice must not cost anyone their life,” the statement reads. This, it says, is the European Union’s humanitarian obligation.