Press Release No. 57/2015 Jörg Hofmann: “IG Metall Strengthens Collective Bargaining Coverage to Combat the Abuse of Service Contracts”

Frankfurt am Main – IG Metall is defending and strengthening collective bargaining coverage to ensure good working conditions—and to combat the abuse of service contracts for wage dumping. “Through our days of action against service contracts, thousands of colleagues have shown what they think of employers’ strategies: namely, nothing,” said Jörg Hofmann, Second Chair of IG Metall, on Monday at the union convention in Frankfurt. He noted that this has been a grueling struggle marked by tough confrontations. However, IG Metall has succeeded in bringing numerous employees and companies back under collective bargaining agreements following offshoring and outsourcing. Among other things, 4,000 members were recruited in contract logistics this year. “This also triggers learning processes among employers,” said Hofmann. This is illustrated, for example, by the announcement from a major automaker that it will no longer employ contract service providers in its plants that are not covered by the metalworkers’ collective bargaining agreement.

Hofmann gave a positive assessment of the recent collective bargaining round. In addition to the wage increase itself, the union succeeded in securing greater control over their time for employees through educational part-time work and partial retirement. “Both of these qualitative outcomes guarantee our members the right to temporarily reduce their working hours. With educational part-time work, we’ve taken the first step toward a more self-determined working life,” Hofmann summarized. The focus now is on implementing these successes within the company. Going forward, the emphasis will be on the organization of working hours. One goal is to give employees control over their time based on their life stages, allowing them to temporarily reduce their working hours for child care, caring for relatives, or further training.

IG Metall is also advancing its strategy regarding the shaping of the digital workplace—and is participating as an equal partner in the federal government’s platforms on digitalization. The IG Metall Executive Board’s Industry 4.0 dialogue platform also brings together works council members, representatives from the districts, and administrative offices who are actively engaged in the digitalization of the workplace. One priority is to involve employees in developing new rules for their work processes.

In workplace policy, IG Metall has succeeded in fending off employers’ attacks on co-determination. “I’m referring to the massive obstruction and manipulation of works council elections—or, to use the modern term, ‘union busting,’” said Hofmann. There are an increasing number of specialized law firms that have turned the violation of the law—or at least the perversion of justice—into a lucrative business. The right to works council elections must be enforced in the face of growing resistance from employers. “Unimpeded works council elections must remain a fundamental right.”