Press Release No. 14/2010 Wetzel Calls for Action in Response to the Crisis

Ingolstadt – On Labor Day, Detlef Wetzel, vice president of IG Metall, called for a public debate on the consequences of the crisis. “People are still gambling like crazy on the financial markets,” Wetzel said at the German Trade Union Federation’s (DGB) May 1 rally on Saturday in Ingolstadt. The enormous risks posed by unregulated financial markets have not been curbed. Those who caused the crisis—and who, like the banks, are now once again earning billions—must be held accountable. What is needed is an economic system that serves the people, not speculators. “We need a new, sustainable form of economic activity with more worker participation in companies and public administrations,” the union leader demanded. This would require alternative paths of development in the economy and society.

At the same time, Wetzel warned against allowing more and more precarious employment. “Internships, temp work, and fixed-term jobs are increasingly shaping the world of work.” Among those under 30, the proportion of workers on fixed-term contracts is already 42 percent: “Neither professional development nor personal life planning can be built on this,” said Wetzel. Although the crisis has not yet been overcome, employment is increasingly being built on temporary work. The temporary staffing industry estimates that up to 2.5 million temporary workers could be employed after the crisis. Regular jobs—not unprotected, precarious work—must once again be the guiding principle of a civilized society. “The time has come to fight back against wage suppression, poor working conditions, and the division of the workforce,” said Wetzel.

With the “Equal Work – Equal Pay” initiative launching on May 1, IG Metall will spark a sociopolitical debate. The federal government must finally take action and transpose the European Temporary Agency Work Directive into national law. According to the directive, temporary agency work is only a tool for meeting temporary staffing needs. Furthermore, the EU directive requires equal treatment of temporary agency workers compared to permanent employees. However, millions of secure jobs are currently being shifted to temporary agency work. “This exploitation of cheap labor must be stopped. The best temporary agency work is the kind that doesn’t happen at all.”