IG Metall calls warning strikes, first walkouts expected overnight into Sunday
The no-strike obligation in Germany's metal and electrical industry wage dispute is expiring. The union calls the employers' offer a "minus round" and is calling on about 3.7 million workers to stage warning strikes.
Archive image · Photo: Frank Vincentz / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Germany's IG Metall union has called on about 3.7 million workers in the metal and electrical industry to stage warning strikes. The first actions are expected overnight into Sunday, Nov. 1, when the no-strike obligation expires; regional bargaining commissions must first approve them. Sectors affected include the auto industry, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering.
The union is demanding a 5% pay rise over 12 months as well as contractual guarantees to protect jobs and sites. In the second round of talks, employers offered a one-time payment next year and a 1.3% increase in July 2028 over a 26-month term. They cite the difficult economic situation and high costs for industry.
"The so-called offer from the employers provokes nothing but incomprehension and anger in the workplaces," IG Metall chair Christiane Benner said. Board member Nadine Boguslawski called it a "minus round for employees." Several thousand workers are likely to down tools at short notice next week, according to dpa.