Frankfurt am Main – Under the motto “Time for the Future”, IG Metall opened its 25th Ordinary Trade Union Congress in Frankfurt am Main. In the coming days, 421 elected delegates from across Germany will discuss and decide on the work program for the next four years. Tomorrow, Monday, the new leadership around Christiane Benner and Jürgen Kerner will also be standing for election.
Jörg Hofmann, the outgoing first chairman of IG Metall, emphasized the importance of this union conference: “Trade union conferences must find answers for the here and now. And a lot has changed since the last trade union conference: Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the tectonic geopolitical and economic policy shifts, the transformation challenges that are now real in companies – to name just a few examples that will occupy the trade union conference. But we also want to reorganize our management and work structure by strengthening the basis in the companies, making ourselves leaner at the top and introducing a generational change in the management team. It’s about further consolidating the path of social, ecological and democratic transformation.”
Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, underlined the importance of IG Metall for the success of industrial transformation in Germany at the opening event: “We are in challenging times. The great task of transformation requires us to change and shape things. And for this we need a strong social partnership and strong unions that advocate for a strong, future-oriented industry and secure jobs. That’s exactly what Jörg Hofmann has done with all his might in recent years. I would like to express my very express thanks for this. I wish the trade union congress good consultations and discussions in the coming days in difficult times.”
In her speech, Yasmin Fahimi, Chairwoman of the German Federation of Trade Unions, spoke out in favor of extending the electricity price brakes with a reliable, competitive bridge electricity price for the energy-intensive industry: “We want a future with a strong, climate-friendly industry. But without this bridge we will not be able to transform ourselves into a sustainable economy. In order to get Germany back on track to modernize and secure future prosperity, the state must act now. We have to do like the US government and say clearly: There is no money from the state without something in return. Our conditions are: collective wages, location and investment commitments!”
The trade union congress is the highest decision-making body of IG Metall and meets every four years. Democratically elected delegates – mostly volunteer members of IG Metall – decide on tasks, goals and priorities for the next four years based on applications. A total of more than 530 applications were submitted for consultation. They focus on topics such as shaping the energy and mobility transition, securing employment and the welfare state, as well as questions of co-determination and collective bargaining policy.
About the program: After the opening and constitution this Sunday, the election of the new board is on the agenda tomorrow morning. The application consultation then begins, interrupted by the future report of the newly elected First Chairwoman on Tuesday, October 24th at 9 a.m., the visit by Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the same day at 2 p.m. and the visit by Labor Minister Hubertus Heil on Wednesday, October 25th. at 4:30 p.m. Union Day ends on Thursday, October 26th at around 4 p.m.
Note: You can find a live stream of the trade union conference athttps://igmetall.de/gwt-live