Düsseldorf (dpa/lnw) – In the collective bargaining dispute in the North Rhine-Westphalian metal and electrical industry, the union and employers agreed on Tuesday to adopt the pilot agreement from Baden-Württemberg. It was agreed last week. The collective bargaining result is “very high, but still justifiable due to the long two-year term and various relief options for the companies,” said Metall NRW President Arndt G. Kirchhoff after the fifth and final round of negotiations, according to the announcement. In view of the poor economic situation and the ongoing risks, the collective bargaining round was one of the most difficult in recent years.
The agreement provides for wage increases of 5.2 percent by June 2023 and a further 3.3 percent from May 2024 for the 3.9 million employees in the industry nationwide. At the beginning of 2023 and beginning of 2024, the employees will each receive 1,500 euros as a tax and duty-free inflation compensation bonus. Apprentices receive an inflation compensation bonus of twice 550 euros. The collective agreement runs until September 30, 2024. The industry employs around 700,000 people in NRW.
“The result of the negotiations gives employees security in uncertain times,” said the district manager of IG Metall NRW, Knut Giesler. The premium helps in the short term against rising energy prices. The permanent increase in the pay scale stabilizes purchasing power. Giesler spoke of a “great participation in the warning strikes” with which the employees made the “very good result” possible. A total of 126,870 employees from 1,021 companies in NRW took part in the warning strikes and rallies of IG Metall. The collective bargaining committee of the IG Metall North Rhine-Westphalia wants to make a final decision on the acceptance of the negotiation result this Thursday.
