Union work isn’t just about getting involved at the workplace. It takes many forms, and everyone can participate. We make decisions together with our members, not over their heads. We implement improvements with them, not in their place. To do this, we bring them together.
Want to get involved?
We offer plenty of opportunities for you and your interests. Metalworkers can choose from a wide variety of networks. Or they can get involved in the many working groups and committees organized through the local offices. Which ones are available varies from office to office.
IG Metall thrives on the commitment of its members. And it offers every member the opportunity to get involved in the union and have a say in its decisions.
Nothing works without participation
This is evident, for example, in IG Metall’s core mission: negotiating and concluding collective bargaining agreements that regulate wages and working conditions.
IG Metall regularly negotiates collective bargaining agreements in its sectors. To this end, IG Metall members elect a bargaining committee. The committee decides on the bargaining demands and deliberates on whether to accept the results of negotiations. If employers do not meet the demands, IG Metall can call for warning strikes as well as indefinite strikes. Members also vote on whether to go on strike.
In addition to collective bargaining, IG Metall fulfills a wide range of other tasks. At the heart of these efforts are the approximately 155 local offices. They serve as points of contact for members in their communities and address their concerns. They offer counseling and legal protection.
The local offices also operate democratically. The members of a local office elect their representatives at the so-called delegates’ assembly. This assembly is comparable to a parliament. It meets four times a year and decides, for example, on actions to be taken in workplaces. In addition, they elect the local executive board, which manages the office.
Members also play a central role in IG Metall’s highest governing body, the Union Congress. The representatives from the local offices also decide who is sent to this congress.
