Press Release No. 20/2012 IG Metall Presents “Black Book on Temporary Work”

Frankfurt am Main – IG Metall has unveiled the “Black Book on Temporary Work.” With this publication, the union aims to draw attention to the abuses surrounding the employment of temporary workers. “Personal accounts of people’s experiences convey—in a way that statistics and charts can hardly match—what temporary work means for those affected,” said Detlef Wetzel, Second Chairman of IG Metall, on Thursday in Frankfurt.

In addition to the results of a survey of 36,000 members in temporary work conducted in November 2011, the book contains facts and figures on temporary work in Germany. More than 1,000 respondents also described their day-to-day experiences. “For the first time, those affected are reporting authentically and in their own words how they experience their situation as temporary workers,” said Wetzel. The book is aimed not only at works council members but also at politicians and representatives of employers’ associations. In the coming days, they will receive a personal copy of the “Black Book on Temporary Work” so they can form their own picture of the consequences of temporary work.

The union official described the testimonials as “alarming.” When people refer to themselves as “temp cucumbers,” they are being stripped of their dignity, Wetzel criticized. In many cases, wages were reported to be insufficient to live on. “Work shouldn’t drive us into poverty. I’ve lost face,” lamented one affected worker. “You have no idea how much it hurts when you used to work as a regular employee at the same company and have now been doing the same work for over 18 months for half the pay,” said another respondent.

Temporary work no longer serves to cushion production peaks, but is instead a long-term human resources strategy at the expense of temporary workers, Wetzel said. “I’ve been a temporary worker at the same client company for six years now. What does that have to do with order peaks or seasonal work?” confirmed one temporary worker. “I’ve been doing temp work for eight and a half years, mostly at the same large company, and there’s no chance of being hired permanently. Is this supposed to continue for the next few years until I retire?” asked another affected worker.

Wetzel sees these personal accounts as evidence of the urgent need for a fair system in the labor market. “Every single story illustrates the consequences when work is reduced to a commodity.” That is why IG Metall wants to ensure that temporary work is only possible under fair conditions.

In the current round of collective bargaining, IG Metall is negotiating with the temporary employment employers’ associations regarding industry-specific wage supplements in the metal and electrical industries as an important intermediate step toward equal pay for temporary workers. In the collective bargaining talks with employers in the metal and electrical industries, the union is trying to secure greater co-determination rights for works councils regarding the use of temporary labor.