German engineering industry workers begin wage strikes

German Engineering Workers Launch Wage Strikes Over Pay Dispute with Employers

Overview of the Wage Dispute and Strike Actions

Background of the Dispute

FRANKFURT, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Workers in Germany's engineering industry started temporary warning strikes on Sunday, in a dispute that pits 3.7 million workers seeking a 5% pay rise against companies suffering from a deepening crisis in the automotive sector.

Initial Strike Actions

• Around 300 employees of Thyssenkrupp's Rasselstein unit as well as workers from surrounding companies joined the first walkout at midnight, the IG Metall union said on Sunday

Union and Employer Negotiations

Union Response to Employer Offer

• The union has rejected an offer made by employers during a second round of wage negotiations, describing it as a "minus offer" — a real-terms pay cut

Details of Employer Offer

• Employers have offered 1% of annual gross pay as a one-off payment in the summer of 2027 and an additional 1.3% increase from July 2028

Union Demands and Future Actions

Union Statements

• "The midnight warning strike at thyssenkrupp Rasselstein is merely the start of a massive phase of warning strikes," Jörg Köhlinger, head of IG Metall's central district, said

• IG Metall is demanding a 5% wage rise over 12 months, according to Marc Winter, a union official and works council head at thyssenkrupp Rasselstein

Planned Strike Escalations

• The union said further warning strikes would follow in the coming days across the bargaining region covering the states of Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland as well as in Thuringia

Reporting and Editorial Credits

(Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Hugh Lawson)