Arbeitgeber verlangen Reform: IG Metall: Rechte von Betriebsräten nicht schleifen

Frankfurt/Main. The IG Metall trade union has challenged proposals from employers aiming to limit the rights of works councils. André Arenz, head of the union's co-determination department, stated that challenging works councils and their rights is met with fierce resistance. The union is reacting to comments made by employer president Rainer Dulger and a white paper from his German Employers' Association (BDA).

The paper calls for reforms to the Works Constitution Act to speed up decision-making processes, suggesting that co-determination rights should be restricted or even abolished. However, Arenz maintains that works councils are not a burden but rather a gain for economic success, as "co-determined companies perform better work and are verifiably more future-oriented."

He believes that the duty of works councils is to protect employees' health and ensure justice in working conditions, making unilateral decisions by management impossible for employees. Works councils fight daily for cohesion in companies through co-determination and thus for the preservation of democracy, Arenz explained. "If one attacks employees' rights, one risks burning down the entire tree."

The union advocates for a more modern Works Constitution Act and simpler works council elections, but insists that co-determination must be expanded, not diminished.