Frankfurt am Main – Ahead of the third round of negotiations in North Rhine-Westphalia, set to begin on Friday, IG Metall has continued its warning strikes in the metal and electrical industries nationwide. By Thursday at noon (2 p.m.), more than 30,000 warning strikers from around 250 companies had emphasized their demands for a 5.5 percent pay increase, as well as regulations on part-time work for older workers and for education, through work stoppages, rallies, and early-closing actions. Further actions are planned for this afternoon and evening. Since the start of the warning strikes and the preceding actions, approximately 360,000 workers nationwide have demonstrated in support of their demands.
“The 360,000 metalworkers who have participated so far have sent a strong message and made it clear that the employers’ offer is too low. There can be no resolution under these circumstances. Employers should reconsider their position and finally present a fair, negotiable offer addressing all three demands,” said Detlef Wetzel, President of IG Metall, on Thursday in Frankfurt. Regarding the 5.5 percent wage demand, Wetzel cited assessments by economic and financial institutions. “The German economy needs a boost in demand. Wage policy plays a major role in this.” Wetzel called on companies not to merely lament the looming shortage of skilled workers, but to finally take concrete steps for the future by working with IG Metall to implement a part-time training program. Improved regulations are needed for partial retirement. “A rollback, as employers are planning, is out of the question,” said Wetzel.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, nearly 11,000 workers from 109 companies walked off the job. In Bielefeld, 1,300 employees from various companies demonstrated in support of their demands. In Hellenthal, 1,200 warning-strike participants gathered for a march. Other warning strike actions took place in Unna, Remscheid-Solingen, and Gummersbach, among other places.
In the IG Metall Central District, approximately 8,300 workers from 37 companies heeded IG Metall’s call. In Dillingen, Saarland, 4,500 workers from 13 companies demonstrated in front of the Ford plant. In Neunkirchen, around 350 workers from three companies walked off the job. In Hesse, workers from Fulda, Biedenkopf, Kassel, Frankenberg, Büttelborn, and Mühlheim took part in warning strikes. There were also brief work stoppages in Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia.
In Bavaria, over 5,500 workers from 21 plants took part in brief work stoppages. In Munich, 3,000 workers at MAN Truck & Bus briefly walked off the job. In Tacherting at Linde AG, 350 metalworkers went on strike. 400 workers at Robert Bosch GmbH in Seifen and 700 workers at Bosch-Siemens Home Appliances in Dillingen demonstrated in support of their demands. Additional warning strikes took place in Upper Franconia, Memmingen, Eltmann, Regensburg, Regen, and Gunzenhausen.
In Baden-Württemberg, approximately 3,500 workers from about 60 companies took part in warning strikes. In Reutlingen, 800 workers from Bosch, Siemens, and other companies demonstrated in support of their demands. In Geislingen, 500 metalworkers from various companies gathered for a rally. Additional warning strikes took place in Nagold, Crailsheim, and Offenburg, among other locations.
In Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, over 1,200 workers from eight companies heeded IG Metall’s call. At Conti-Teves in Gifhorn, 550 workers took part in the warning strike. Around 400 workers at Herzog in Osnabrück and at Elster-Kromschröder in Lotte briefly walked off the job.
In the IG Metall Berlin-Brandenburg-Saxony district, over 630 metalworkers from five plants took part in warning strikes. In Berlin, 150 employees at Procter & Gamble walked off the job in the morning. In Saxony, 300 workers from several Siemens sites in Leipzig demonstrated in support of their demands.
In the IG Metall “Küste” district, over 620 workers from six plants walked off the job. Warning strikes took place in Lübeck, Nortorf, Büdelsdorf, and Leer.
