In Germany, where inflation is breaking historic records, more than 10% in October, wage negotiations lead to significant wage increases to compensate for the rise in prices. After chemicals, this is the case in metallurgy which, with nearly four million employees, constitutes a major economic sector in Germany, particularly with the automotive industry. After major warning strikes, an agreement was reached on the night of November 17 to 18 between the social partners.
With our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibault
” Employees will soon have significantly more money in their pockets “, welcomed the president of the union IG Metall, Jörg Hofmann. Employers are talking about a costly agreement, but they have imposed a two-year compromise, which allows metalworking companies to see clearly the evolution of the wage bill until the start of the 2024 school year.
Towards the same agreement in the other metalworking federations
IG Metall had asked for a record 8% year-on-year increase to offset high inflation; the union obtains a wage increase of 8.5% but over two years. Added to this is a non-taxable bonus of 3,000 euros.
► To read also: Germany: warning strikes in the metal sector
The agreement is valid for the region of Baden-Württemberg but should be taken up in the other federations of the metal industry. It puts an end to the social conflicts of the last few weeks with demonstrations then warning strikes in which 900,000 people had taken part throughout Germany.