Arbeitsmarkt: „Keine Grundlage für ernsthaften Kompromiss“: Metalltarifrunde steht vor weiterer Eskalationsstufe

Berlin - The stalled collective bargaining agreement for approximately 3.7 million workers in the metal and electrical industries is spiraling into a new phase of escalation. The IG Metall executive board approved 24-hour warning strikes on Thursday, following a request from regional tariff commissions the day prior. First Vice President of the union, Christiane Benner, cited the employer's intent to turn the collective bargaining agreement into a fundamental dispute.

She elaborated that the issue extends beyond just wages and jobs, questioning whether tariff standards, co-determination, and reliable rules will persist in the future. Employers responded harshly to the regional tariff commissions' request, stating that preparing labor conflict measures during the most severe post-war economic crisis was unjustifiable.

IG Metall demanded a five percent wage increase over a twelve-month contract duration, alongside employment security and binding prospects for the industry's locations. The struggle is particularly acute in the automobile industry and parts of the machinery sector, which are grappling with a severe crisis.