We are IG Metall Gordana Baumann

“We’re growing here alongside the biotechnology industry. It’s a booming business—the company is investing and expanding, and people are being hired. Sartorius made its name with weighing technology—scales for pharmacies or color-matching scales, for example. I trained as an office administrator and completed additional continuing education courses; the most recent was in 2013 to become a human resources specialist, and nine years ago I started as an assistant to the works council. I prepare the works council meetings, take minutes, handle follow-up tasks, and coordinate many appointments. I’m also the first point of contact within the company for anything related to the works council. My work is really exciting—I get to learn a lot about all areas of the company. I’m bound to absolute confidentiality.

I’ve been a union member for as long as I can remember. For me, it’s just part of who I am. Before I joined Sartorius Stedim Biotech, I was a member of ver.di because ver.di was the union representing my former employer. At some point, I was asked if I’d like to become a shop steward for IG Metall. As shop stewards, we’re the first point of contact for everything related to IG Metall and beyond. We also serve on various IG Metall committees and learn about the issues facing other companies. Then we meet, pool our knowledge, and share it throughout the company. It’s important to me to stay in touch with my colleagues. It’s simply not enough to just talk about IG Metall in meetings. For example, we’re already preparing for the next round of collective bargaining. Our membership is growing.”

(Note: This profile has been slightly abridged for igmetall.de. You can find more information under “Our IG Metall.”)