Frankfurt am Main – The IG Metall trade union is calling on companies and politicians to implement significantly faster socio-ecological change in 2023. This is necessary in order to secure skilled workers and employment in Germany. “The promise of a socio-ecological transformation requires everyone to work together: companies, politicians and trade unions. 2023 must be the year of fair change,” said Jörg Hofmann, First Chairman of IG Metall. “A fair change can only succeed with the employees, not against them.” This requires more participation, more co-determination and more collective agreements.
Responses to the changed world of work needed
“We have to shape the transformation in such a way that the potential of skilled workers is not lost in companies today. Despite the sometimes dramatically changing activities, we need secure perspectives in the working world of tomorrow,” Hofmann demanded. In order for the change in industry to succeed, tens of thousands of additional new and qualified employees are needed: for example for the expansion of renewable energies, for energy-efficient building renovation and the expansion of digital traffic control systems. If the industrial core sectors are to handle the transformation, they too need skilled workers with new requirements.
“We need a real boom when it comes to change, not hesitant action based on the cash situation,” said Hofmann. In particular, new labor market policy instruments must give employees real opportunities for new, professional qualifications. “Mechanics to heating installers, engine developers to software developers, line workers to high-voltage assembly workers: this requires better and longer part-time training and more training money than the federal government is currently planning,” said Hofmann.
Modernized co-determination and active industrial policy
Christiane Benner, Deputy Chairwoman of IG Metall, called for school leavers to be better prepared for their training: “It’s not enough for employers to complain about a shortage of skilled workers but not do enough about it themselves. Companies have to change their recruitment policy.” Finally, the structural disadvantages of lower secondary school students must come to an end.
In view of the changing working conditions caused by digitization, home office and artificial intelligence, Benner called for modernized co-determination. The aim of IG Metall is to shape the future of work together with the employees, both on the assembly line and in the office. Benner: “Of course, digital and trade unions belong together. We need digital access rights for trade unions and not a hidden link on the intranet.” The success factor of IG Metall is employee participation.
Jürgen Kerner, responsible for industry coordination on the IG Metall board, announced an “Industrial electricity price action day” in the steel industry on March 9: “In energy-intensive industries, energy prices are threatening jobs on a massive scale. Germany must quickly introduce an industrial electricity price brake.” In addition to the conversion of steel production to green hydrogen, companies in all sectors are still struggling with material shortages for production, especially in microelectronics. This requires a reversal in corporate strategies: “Cost minimization no longer dominates, but security of supply, resilience and sustainability are what matters. We will keep an eye on the companies,” said Kerner.
Strong plus for IG Metall entries
IG Metall itself has emerged stronger from the crisis years. With 117,000 new members, the inflow to the union in 2022 was the highest since 2018. “In turbulent times, trade unions provide the necessary support for stability and security,” said IG Metall boss Hofmann, with a view to the relief successes of IG Metall in their efforts to curb electricity and gas prices, for payments for pensioners and students and wage increases, for example in the important metal and electrical industry. “With our collective bargaining policy and our commitment to relief, we have secured the consumer power of many households and stabilized the economy,” says Hofmann.
IG Metall recorded a particular increase in employees: “Wherever jobs are created and we shape the future, we are getting stronger,” said Christiane Benner, Deputy Chairwoman of IG Metall.
The membership fees of IG Metall in 2022 were slightly higher than the previous year at 596 million euros. “The consequences of the pandemic and Russia’s war are also major challenges for our work. But no political action, no strike will fail because of the money,” said IG Metall chief cashier Jürgen Kerner.
Background information on the annual press conference 2023