Following agreements in the iron and steel industries of northwestern and eastern Germany, IG Metall has now also reached a collective bargaining agreement in the Saarland iron and steel industry. The approximately 15,000 employees will receive a 500-euro COVID-19 bonus in September 2021, while apprentices will receive 300 euros.
In February 2022, another 500 euros will be paid out, with apprentices receiving 300 euros.
The agreement is valid through August 31, 2022. After that, IG Metall will be able to negotiate further wage increases.
New annual special payment of 600 euros
However, the collective bargaining agreement also secures a permanent increase in pay: Starting in February 2023, there will be an annual collective bargaining-based bonus of 600 euros, which will increase in line with future wage increases. The additional collective bargaining-based pay can also be used to secure jobs.
The “additional compensation” of 1,000 euros per year—secured by IG Metall in 2019 with the option to convert it into time off, which was paid out for the first time last year—will remain in place permanently: every July. This additional compensation is also linked to wage increases: it grows in line with future percentage-based wage increases.
This means there are now four annual special payments in the Saarland steel industry: vacation pay (39 to 48.5 percent of monthly pay), Christmas bonus (100 percent), “additional compensation” of 1,000 euros, and the new collective bargaining-based supplementary payment of 600 euros.
In addition, the collective bargaining agreements on job security and partial retirement were extended. The same applies to the collective bargaining agreement on work contracts.
The “Stahl Saar” collective bargaining agreement is only partially comparable to those in the northwest and east, because the collective bargaining agreements in the Saar region are three months behind.
