IG Metall Calls for 5% Wage Increase Ahead of Critical German Engineering Talks
Main Developments in Wage Negotiations
By Rachel More
Union Demands and Rationale
BERLIN, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Germany's top industrial union, IG Metall, is demanding a 5% pay rise for 3.7 million workers in the engineering sector ahead of collective bargaining talks marked by immense pressure on the German auto sector.
Leadership Statements
"We're entering the negotiations with a combative sense of realism," IG Metall president Christiane Benner said on Wednesday.
"Making concessions gets us nowhere," Benner added, calling for secure employment and profit-sharing instead of crisis rhetoric. "We will not allow the workers and location to be talked down."
Negotiation Timeline and Industry Context
Upcoming Talks and Potential Strikes
The talks, which cover a range of sectors across Germany's metal and electronics industry, are scheduled to begin on October 7, with strikes possible from November 1.
Economic Pressures
Job Losses and Competition
Negotiations are taking place against a tense backdrop with tens of thousands of job losses in German industry, with auto production under particular strain from Chinese competition, steep tariffs and high production costs.
Automaker Responses
Carmakers like Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz have said auto production in Germany is too expensive and threatened the closure of some plants.
(Reporting by Rachel More, editing by Kirsti Knolle and Ludwig Burger)
