Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – In the wage dispute in the north-west German iron and steel industry, warning strikes have become more likely after a second unsuccessful round of negotiations. The peace obligation ends at the end of May. A third round of talks was agreed for June 10, as IG Metall announced on Monday in Düsseldorf.
The union had previously rejected the employer’s offer for a one-off payment. “The steel industry has had full order books for months and profits are bubbling up,” said IG Metall NRW district manager and negotiator Knut Giesler, according to a statement. The employees therefore rightly expected that they would be appropriately involved in the good business development.
The collective bargaining commission wants to discuss how to proceed on Wednesday. “With the offer of a one-time payment, the escalation of the conflict is inevitable. The employers are responsible for this,” the negotiator continued.
The employers expressed incomprehension about the attitude of the union. Although many companies have posted good profits, they have already paid profit-sharing at company level, said Gerhard Erdmann, executive board member of the Steel Employers’ Association. The “bubbling profits” mentioned by the union could also be over tomorrow. “The demand from IG Metall acts as if the situation will last for a long time. That is not serious.”
The tariff area of ??the north-west German steel industry includes North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Bremen. According to IG Metall NRW, 68,000 people are employed in the industry. The union is demanding an 8.2 percent increase in wages for employees over a period of twelve months. In addition, the collective agreements on partial retirement, the use of work contracts and job security are to be extended. In the first round, the employers had offered a one-off payment of 2,100 euros.
