Industry: First industrial warning strikes: This is planned alongside larger demonstrations

Frankfurt am Main. The signs point to warning strikes in collective bargaining for the German metal and electrical industry. In two rounds of negotiations so far, IG Metall and employers have not been able to agree on a new collective agreement for the approximately 3.7 million employees.

IG Metall immediately rejected an initial offer well below the inflation limit and has been carrying out the warning strikes that had already been prepared since Sunday. The core of German industry is affected, including the automotive, mechanical engineering, electrical and metal processing sectors.

A warning strike is a temporary stoppage of work during collective bargaining. The union can declare it without first consulting the members via a ballot. The only important thing is that there is no longer any peace obligation from the previous collective agreement and that only goals that can actually be agreed are aimed for.

The strike must also be proportionate. The temporary actions are intended to increase the pressure on employers and at the same time close their own ranks. In the past, IG Metall has regularly succeeded in recruiting new members during warning strikes.

The extent and duration of the warning strikes cannot be precisely predicted. What is certain is that there will be some throughout Germany. After the first midnight actions and smaller walkouts on Sunday, larger demonstrations are planned for the coming week. According to Gesamtmetall, almost 290,000 people in almost 1,600 companies took part in the warning strikes in the comparatively low-conflict collective bargaining round in 2024, which took place on eleven different days. The union reported that more than 600,000 people were involved.

The IG Metall districts are responsible for organizing the warning strikes and are in competition with each other, where a negotiated compromise with the employers may first emerge. In the logic of the metal and electrical tariff, a contract is negotiated in a “pilot district”, which is subsequently adopted by the others.

Warning strikes are limited in time, while a strike is aimed at enforcing a collective agreement for an indefinite period. According to the statutes of IG Metall, such a labor dispute must be preceded by a strike vote in which at least 75 percent of the members eligible for the strike must vote in favor of the labor dispute in a secret vote.

The last regular strike in the metal and electrical industry was in 2002 in the collective bargaining areas of Baden-Württemberg and Berlin-Brandenburg. However, there is no legal obligation to hold a strike vote, so other unions also refer to their warning strikes as strikes.

In principle, all employees of the company on strike are allowed to take part in a warning strike, with the exception of senior employees, including non-union members. Things are a little more complicated for temporary workers who fall under a different tariff. They may not be used as strikebreakers, explains IG Metall lawyer Dirk Schumann.

In addition, the large temporary employment associations have committed not to use their staff as strikebreakers. Theoretically, they could be ordered to another workplace, but in practice this rarely happens due to the short duration of the actions. In addition, operational blockades that deny access to those willing to work or customers are illegal. This also applies to filling the company or individual workplaces.

It is not necessary to deregister with your superior or in the time recording system because your work obligation is suspended for the duration of the warning strike. This also means that the employer cannot impose sanctions against participants in a lawful warning strike. A warning or termination only comes into consideration in the event of an illegal strike or individual breaches of duty. Those affected could defend themselves against this with the help of the union.

Because the employment relationship is suspended for the duration of the warning strike, employers do not have to pay any wages for this period. Union members can expect strike pay from the union in the event of a prolonged industrial dispute, but short warning strikes of a few hours are not included. In a still distant escalation stage, the board can call so-called 24-hour warning strikes, for which the members then receive strike pay.

Payment depends on the amount of the union fee and the length of membership. Here is an example from the union's strike pay calculator: Anyone who has been a member of IG Metall for more than five years can expect strike pay of 700 euros per week with a gross monthly income of 5,000 euros and the resulting union fee of 50 euros. No more taxes or social security contributions are due. Anyone who has only been in the union for three months under the same conditions would receive 600 euros a week.