PRESS STATEMENT Canceling the wage increase would be unfair

Stefan Schaumburg: “IG Metall is ready to talk with employers in the wood and plastics processing industry about securing jobs. That is why it agreed to crisis management talks, which were requested by the employers. But the employers didn’t want to talk about crisis management at all. Their goal was to cancel the 1.8 percent wage increase already agreed upon for January 2021. However, there will be no across-the-board cut to collective bargaining benefits with IG Metall. IG Metall has therefore broken off the talks.

Canceling the wage increase would be unfair. Many workers are already facing difficult conditions due to the COVID-19 crisis, and short-time work has caused them to lose up to 40 percent of their pay. Furthermore, not all companies are struggling, so cutting costs across the board won’t help. And for those companies that are facing problems, canceling the wage increase wouldn’t help them either. IG Metall is prepared to engage in genuine crisis talks and find solutions for companies that have run into difficulties.”