Gewerkschaft: IG Metall fordert mehr Unterstützung durch die Politik

On Monday, Jürgen Kerner, the second chairman of IG Metall, called for stronger political support amid the turmoil in Germany's automobile industry. This crisis, Kerner said, is also a result of geopolitical changes. The IG Metall official told politicians had not yet grasped the situation, especially in contrast to the strategies of the United States and China.

While the US opted for protectionism, China perfected state capitalism and flooded global markets with cheap products. Kerner argued that Germany's response of austerity and belt-tightening was ludicrous and wouldn't solve the problem.

The IG Metall leader advocated for the establishment of local production guidelines, which would cover not only the final assembly of cars but also the delivery of parts. The EU Commission presented initial proposals at the beginning of the year and intends to make a decision in late autumn. For this to happen, the German government must take a stand. Additionally, Kerner believed tariffs on hybrid vehicles from China were necessary.

Politically, Germany could support the industry through an industrial electricity rate and greater planning certainty. "Much remains to be done on the political level," Kerner emphasized. "Instead, the buck is being passed to employees." IG Metall President Christiane Benner announced September 21 as an action day, expecting at least 100,000 participants.

She blamed employees for the crisis, pointing to poor management decisions. Since 2020, the German automobile industry has invested more abroad than domestically, an attack on the German prosperity model, economic model, and democracy, Benner said.

IG Metall supports efforts to reduce costs, but the key to bringing factory costs to a comparable level lies in the utilization of the plants. "The luxury strategy has failed," Benner stated. In the first half of the year, more than 40,000 jobs were lost in the automotive sector, according to the Federal Statistics Office, with the industry employing fewer people than at any time since 2005. There is no end in sight. Only at Volkswagen, tens of thousands of additional jobs are set to be cut, with four plants up for sale.