Frankfurt am Main – In their second week of warning strikes, workers in the metal and electrical industries have once again increased the pressure on employers. Nationwide, more than 511,000 workers have demonstrated their readiness to fight since the end of the peace obligation. The warning strikers supported the IG Metall union’s demand for higher wages to boost purchasing power and the economy, and protested against the employers’ offer, which still shows no improvement.
Christiane Benner, President of IG Metall: “This movement at the factory gates must finally be followed by movement at the negotiating table. Our colleagues are determined and, quite rightly, impatient.” IG Metall will continue the warning strikes until the next round of collective bargaining on November 11 in Hamburg. The union’s leadership has tasked the IG Metall districts of Küste and Bavaria with attempting to find a solution.
So far, the only offer on the table from the employers is to increase wages only starting in July 2025. The increases are to be implemented in two stages over a 27-month period. That would not even offset expected inflation. IG Metall, on the other hand, is demanding a 7 percent increase over a 12-month period. In addition, the union is calling for significantly better conditions for apprentices. Nadine Boguslawski, IG Metall’s executive board member for collective bargaining: “It is unacceptable that our skilled workers of tomorrow have to work side jobs. That’s why apprentices deserve a 170-euro boost to make the program more attractive.” Furthermore, IG Metall is advocating for more employees to gain greater control over their time through a better choice between time and money.
Major Actions in IG Metall Districts
On Monday, 12,000 employees on the early and night shifts at Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen (Baden-Württemberg) went on a temporary walkout. In the IG Metall Central District, around 650 employees staged a protest on Tuesday to mark the third round of collective bargaining negotiations for the Thuringia region. In Leipzig (Berlin-Brandenburg-Saxony district), the BMW night shift—comprising 1,500 colleagues—gathered in front of the factory gates at 3:30 a.m.
On Wednesday, well over 2,500 workers staged a warning strike in downtown Osnabrück. In addition to VW and KME, employees from 12 companies there walked off the job. On Wednesday, 2,500 workers from 22 companies in Lemgo (North Rhine-Westphalia) rallied in support of IG Metall’s demands.
In Bremen (Coastal District), a total of 8,200 workers from Mercedes-Benz, Airbus, thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering, and other companies staged a warning strike on Thursday. 2,300 workers gathered for a rally near the Weserstadion. In Munich (Bavaria district), 4,000 BMW workers demonstrated vociferously at a march and rally in front of the plant. In Freisen (Saarland, Central district), 800 workers from Hörmann, Diehl Defence, and other companies applied pressure with a march through the city.
