Frankfurt am Main – In the first speech after her election, the new first chairwoman of IG Metall, Christiane Benner, highlighted the opportunities of industrial change, reaffirmed IG Metall’s claim to shape the situation and held politicians accountable. She sharply criticized the behavior of some employers during the transformation.
“Not everything stays the same as it is today. Jobs and companies are changing. Mathematically, the change is going well. There are enough jobs in the green industry,” emphasized Benner, with a view to the climate-friendly restructuring of the industry and the upheavals caused by digitalization. But instead of taking advantage of these opportunities, many employers made it easy for themselves and relocated jobs abroad, criticized Benner. “Anyone who simply destroys jobs instead of thinking about alternatives in a timely manner is driving people into a lack of prospects. We have to stop this creeping de-industrialization of Germany,” said Benner in her future speech at the 25th trade union conference of IG Metall in Frankfurt am Main.
Benner was convinced: Transformation by no means automatically means the dismantling of industry, but rather new markets, industries and business models are developing, she made clear using the example of e-mobility. New jobs would be created there not only in the automobile manufacturers themselves, but also in battery plants, in the circular economy, in recycling or in the digital control of mobility. “We have a clear goal: every employee deserves a perspective. We will fight for this,” promised Benner.
In order to achieve this goal, IG Metall is calling for more robust co-determination rights for employees, especially in questions of the strategic orientation of companies and companies, such as personnel planning, personnel measurement and qualification. “We need expanded rights that serve to secure employment and finally guarantee an enforceable balance of interests,” demanded Benner.
This expanded co-determination has an impact far beyond companies and can counteract increasing uncertainty and disillusionment with politics. “More democracy in the workplace leads to more democracy in our society. Anyone who effectively experiences democracy in the company also has a more positive attitude towards democracy overall,” said Benner with conviction. Politicians called on them to adapt the laws on co-determination in companies and companies to the new times: “The world is moving faster and faster. That’s why standing still in co-determination is actually going backwards.”