Frankfurt am Main – After more than half a year of talks and negotiations, the IG Metall board of directors declared the collective bargaining for temporary workers in the metal and electrical industry to have failed. For the 180,000 temporary employees employed in the metal and electrical industry, the trade union is demanding an inflation compensation premium of 3,000 euros, which is also paid to permanent employees in the same companies. Employers refuse. The collective agreement expires at the end of the month.
Juan-Carlos Rio Antas, chief negotiator at IG Metall, says: “Employers are refusing to hire workers an important part of the wages and the collective bargaining agreement in the metal and electronics industry. As a result, the gap between permanent employees is widening. We don’t go along with this division. Permanent and temporary employees earn the same money for the same work.”
“Question of justice”: IG Metall tightens pace
In November 2022, IG Metall had already pushed through the payment of inflation compensation premiums for regular employees in the industry. The union also demands this for temporary workers. Rio-Antas: “Temporary workers often work in the lower wage groups and, given the increased prices, need the inflation premium just as badly. This is a question of justice.”
Nationwide, several thousand employees have campaigned in recent weeks for an inflation compensation bonus, including for temporary workers. Many permanent employees in the metal and electrical industry also took part in solidarity. IG Metall has planned further protests for this week.
collective agreement ends
The IG Metall has terminated the collective agreement for the industry surcharges in the metal and electrical industry, which ends on June 30th. Negotiator Rio Antas: “This dispute is about more justice. It is about the system of temporary work remuneration. The hiring and user companies endanger the remuneration system in temporary work if they prevent temporary employees from receiving the same inflation compensation bonus as permanent employees in these collective bargaining.”