Metal and electrical industry: 24-hour strikes are getting closer

In the collective bargaining dispute in the German metal and electrical industry, the IG Metall union is triggering the next level of escalation. Following resolutions from their collective bargaining committees, the union's districts today applied to the board to authorize all-day warning strikes in individual companies. A corresponding decision by the union leadership is planned for this Thursday and is considered certain.

In Baden-Württemberg, IG Metall announced that it would begin voting on warning strikes in the designated companies on Friday. The district there made it clear that there will not be a new negotiation date in Bavaria before the start of the 24-hour warning strikes.

Employers offer 1.3 percent more salary

The North Rhine-Westphalia district explains that the employers have led the negotiations to a dead end with their previous course. "We have made suggestions on how industrial jobs can be secured, locations can be strengthened and the future can be shaped. The employers have rejected them. Anyone who demands security is offered uncertainty by employers," explains district manager Knut Giesler, according to the statement.

In the collective bargaining dispute, IG Metall is demanding 5 percent more money for the approximately 3.7 million employees. In addition, jobs and locations should be secured. Employers have offered a revocable one-off payment and 1.3 percent more.

“Last yellow phase before the red phase”

The all-day warning strikes are also called 24-hour warning strikes - regardless of the actual shift times in the company on strike. The union introduced it in 2017 to create an intermediate stage between short warning strikes and indefinite forced strikes.

For the first time and so far the only time, the all-day warning strikes were used in 2018 in the metal and electrical industry, which was at high capacity at the time. The then IG Metall boss Jörg Hofmann called it “the last yellow phase before the red phase of a widespread strike.” The parties then agreed on a deal: a strike vote and indefinite strikes were no longer called.

In the companies, the union members first vote on whether to participate. A strike can only take place if at least 50 percent of the union members in question agree. The strike pay for each participant depends on the amount of the union contribution and the length of membership.