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Vol. 82/No. 4 January 29, 2018
IG Metall workers strike in Germany, demand pay raise
BY EMMA JOHNSON
Members of IG Metall, Germany’s biggest union, started a round of strike
protests Jan. 8, part of pressing for a 6 percent wage increase, as
negotiations begin for a new contract covering 3.9 million workers. The
old contract expired Dec. 31.
Over the next few days some 160,000 workers at more than 80 companies
staged brief walkouts and organized demonstrations and rallies. Affected
companies include Volkswagen, Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Siemens, Airbus,
Honeywell and Bombardier.
The union is also demanding workers have the option to cut their
workweek in order to care for children and aging relatives.
The bosses have offered a 2 percent wage raise plus a one-off $240
bonus, but have so far rejected demands for workweek flexibility.
IG Metall has warned that the protest actions will expand if no progress
is made in negotiations. “We have the tool of 24-hour warning strikes at
our disposal, and of course we always have the option to ballot for
open-ended industrial action,” union head Joerg Hofmann told Reuters
Jan. 10.
Contract negotiations are coming up for a number of other unions,
including for mine, chemical, postal and rail workers.
The strikes take place in the context of an economic uptick in Germany,
where many bosses face labor shortages.
Related articles:
Russian auto union fights gov’t move to shut it down
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