PRESS STATEMENT IG Metall’s Statement on Gesamtmetall’s Response to the IG Metall Initiative

“We generally welcome the fact that Gesamtmetall is showing a willingness to break new ground in these collective bargaining negotiations. However, we expect the associations to demonstrate an equal willingness to urge their member companies to refrain from unilateral measures to reduce staff and close locations during the moratorium. Otherwise, a fundamental prerequisite of our proposal will not be met. We also expect negotiations to begin promptly in the regions. Non-binding discussions will not achieve the goal we have set—namely, to quickly reach solutions for employees in the companies. In these negotiations, the employers’ associations, just like IG Metall, are of course free to raise their own points. That is the nature of negotiations. The IG Metall Executive Board will thoroughly review the various statements from the regional associations and the Gesamtmetall leadership at its meeting on February 3–4 and draw conclusions from them regarding the further course of the collective bargaining round.”

See the IG Metall press release dated January 24, 2020