Berlin – IG Metall continued to see stable membership growth in 2016 and strengthened its presence in workplaces. At the end of 2016, IG Metall had 2,274,033 members. This marks the sixth consecutive year that IG Metall has closed the year with a positive result. “It is particularly encouraging that the number of workplace members has risen to 1,569,690. This is the highest figure in more than a decade. IG Metall is entering this important year strong and full of energy,” said Jörg Hofmann, President of IG Metall, on Wednesday in Berlin.
With an eye toward the upcoming Bundestag election, Hofmann urged: “We must shape this transformation in such a way that we can continue to live and work securely, fairly, and with self-determination in the future.” People are feeling uncertain because they don’t know what the future holds for them and their jobs. The political response can only be: “Security requires investment in the future.” That is why companies must maintain the entire value chain in Germany. What is needed is a government capable of taking action that makes the necessary investments in infrastructure.
IG Metall will do everything in its power to ensure that the interests of workers remain at the center of the political debate. “We believe in participation. That is why we are currently surveying workers in companies across our industries about their problems and proposed solutions for shaping the working world of tomorrow. The results will form the basis for IG Metall’s demands on policymakers and employers.”
The issue of working hours is a particular focus. “For long enough, employers have viewed the enforcement of their flexibility interests as a privilege. Now it’s the workers’ turn,” said the IG Metall chairman. IG Metall is striving for working-hour regulations that enable a better work-life balance. Limits are also needed to curb excessive working hours; workers’ health must not be sacrificed.
A strong welfare state is impossible without a strong collective bargaining system, Hofmann said. Building on its strength in the workplaces, IG Metall succeeded last year in raising wages—for workers in the metal and electrical industries alone—first by 2.8 percent and then by another 2 percent. Collective bargaining coverage was also increased nationwide. “As a result, approximately 36,000 workers in 145 companies are now covered by a collective bargaining agreement for the first time. On average, they receive 20 percent more pay than workers not covered by a collective bargaining agreement and have four additional days of vacation and better working hours,” said Hofmann.
IG Metall’s Second Chair, Christiane Benner, provided a detailed breakdown of the membership figures. “It is particularly encouraging that in 2016 we once again succeeded in growing our membership among the target groups that are strategically important to us.” She noted that 43 percent of new members are younger than 27. In total, this means that more than 234,000 young people are members of IG Metall. This shows that the union is addressing the interests of young workers. Among students, membership has even risen by 20 percent to more than 44,000. That’s nearly five times as many as ten years ago. Membership is also growing among women. Twenty percent of all new members in 2016 were women. In total, more than 407,000 women are now members of IG Metall. The union’s strong support among female colleagues is extremely important. “Due to digitalization—especially the use of artificial intelligence—we expect a further shift in occupational fields. We want to shape this change together with our female colleagues in the office sector,” said Benner.
IG Metall will rise to the challenges of our time. “To remain capable of shaping the future and asserting our interests, we will invest 191 million euros in regional outreach projects over the next nine years,” the union leader announced. Last year alone, 140 additional local positions were created for this purpose. These projects are intended to tap into new industries, target specific groups of workers more effectively, and further expand collective bargaining coverage.
Benner views the current draft bill from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) on the further development of part-time work legislation as a key building block for an unbureaucratic right for employees to return from part-time to full-time work. For many women, she noted, the reality remains: “Once part-time, always part-time.” “Given that the overwhelming majority of part-time workers would like to increase their working hours and in light of the much-cited shortage of skilled workers, this is incomprehensible.” At the same time, she called for lowering the current threshold for small-business protection from 15 employees. “Otherwise, approximately 6.7 million employees will not be able to benefit from the law,” the union representative warned. She called on employers to help “pave the way for women to escape the ‘part-time trap’ and return to full-time work through clear rules—or to remain silent forever on the issue of pay equity.”
“Our membership base is also the foundation of our financial strength and independence,” said Jürgen Kerner, chief treasurer of IG Metall. In 2016, IG Metall’s membership dues revenue rose by 2.8 percent to 548 million euros. “We focus on our work on the ground. We are present and provide support where people are—where they live and work. In the workplaces and at our 155 local offices, we build the strength needed to achieve good collective bargaining outcomes,” emphasized the union leader. “IG Metall is in a strong financial position and ready to act at any time.”
Educational initiatives are a top priority at IG Metall. In 2016, approximately 90,000 members took advantage of the union’s educational offerings. “Educational work is a core mission for us. Investing in educational work means investing in the future of IG Metall and its members,” said Kerner. IG Metall is continuing this approach with the construction of the “House of Labour.” In close cooperation with the European Academy of Labor, the City of Frankfurt, and the State of Hesse, a teaching building will be constructed on the Frankfurt University campus by the end of 2018. At the “House of Labor,” skilled workers and young professionals from all industries will be able to study and expand their knowledge with a focus on economics, law, and social sciences.
