Erfurt (dpa/th) – After weeks of negotiations and warning strikes, IG Metall and employers have taken over the pilot degree for the metal and electrical industry in Thuringia. This was announced by the negotiators of the collective agreement parties on Wednesday. In Thuringia, almost 20,000 employees are covered by the area collective agreement, but many companies use it as a guide for in-house collective agreements.
A collective agreement based on the agreement in Baden-Württemberg was signed, explained IG Metall and the Thuringian Metal and Electrical Industry Association (VMET). This means that the fees in Thuringia would also be increased in two steps: first by 5.2 percent in June 2023 and in a further step by 3.3 percent from May 2024. The tax-free inflation premium totaling 3000 euros will be paid out in two steps. The contract runs until September 30, 2024.
IG Metall district manager and negotiator Jörg Köhlinger spoke of a tough wage dispute in which a compromise was ultimately found. More than 8,000 employees took part in warning strikes in Thuringia.
The chief negotiator for the employers, Thomas Kaeser, spoke of a compromise that was expensive and in which some companies reached their pain threshold. But he is also clever, “because it enables the companies to act flexibly with the payments that do justice to their respective economic situation”.
The long term of 24 months brings peace to the companies. In addition, the VMET and IG Metall have agreed on a procedure so that the company and collective bargaining parties can react quickly and flexibly if an energy emergency should arise during the term of the collective agreement.
