Frankfurt am Main – IG Metall is calling for clear perspectives for employees, companies and society on Labor Day. Investments are the need of the hour to create clear prospects and liabilities.
The union and its members are increasingly having to defend themselves against relocations and downsizing plans. A lack of investment and a lack of strategy on the part of companies is becoming increasingly clear. This is not just what surveys among works councils say, this is also what the closures and relocations or corresponding plans show.
“Companies have to show responsibility! Short-sighted reduction plans and a lack of trust in the industrial location and its employees are cowardly. This not only weakens employees and the economy, but is also a fatal signal for society as a whole,” says the first chairwoman of IG Metall, Christiane Benner. “The prerequisites are there: our smart employees, our innovative companies in industry and trade, our dual training system. They all need to be able to identify plans for the future. Clear perspectives ensure prosperity, growth and democracy.”
Christiane Benner demands more commitment from politicians and companies: “The employees deserve security and prospects. They are smart, hard-working and motivated, they help shape change, they get through crises. You are right to demand clear future prospects!”
Expand industrial policy
The massive change in our economy is comparable to the industrialization of the century before last. “Ecological restructuring, digitalization and artificial intelligence, global developments – that’s what we have to shape,” states second chairman Jürgen Kerner and calls for a consistent industrial policy. “Massive investments are essential, for example in charging stations and hydrogen networks – which is why the debt brake has to go. Germany’s competitive disadvantages – particularly high energy costs – must be compensated for. We need the bridge electricity price for the energy-intensive industry. Companies must be held responsible: Anyone who receives state support pays the tariff and secures locations and employment in Germany.” Under no circumstances should the development of the industry towards climate neutrality and digitalization fail due to the ideological stubbornness of individual parties, warns Kerner and emphasizes: “All parties in the federal and state governments must finally take responsibility and develop viable solutions for the tasks and financing of the transformation.”
For a strong, solidarity-based Europe
The union is calling for votes in the European elections on June 9th. As many people as possible should go to the polls and cast their vote for a democratic Europe.
Benner: “Key decisions about what our jobs will look like tomorrow and the day after will also be made in Brussels. A strong Europe that stands together in solidarity creates the right conditions for this.”
The federal government is responsible for ensuring that European directives and regulations are implemented quickly. Here, IG Metall is pushing for faster and more consistent enforcement, for example of the guidelines on minimum wages and collective bargaining agreements.
No attacks on the right to strike
Nadine Boguslawski, chief cashier of IG Metall, makes a clear message to employers and political forces who want to weaken unions by changing the right to strike: “Those who fight for collective agreements are fighting for the future. Anyone who evades collective agreements denies security and prospects. Anyone who attacks the right to strike is endangering a valuable piece of democracy. No transformation can succeed without collective bargaining. Collective agreements are the basis for justice, respect and secure jobs.”
The welfare state is worth more than it costs
Investments in industry and business must not be played off against social concerns, demands the union. A strong welfare state creates security in times of change and beyond working life. Hans-Jürgen Urban, board member responsible for social policy, says: “The once-in-a-century task of social-ecological transformation must not leave any losers behind. Everyone needs a perspective for the future. Otherwise society risks falling apart and right-wing populism is likely to continue to gain popularity. To achieve this, society must expand social security and solidarity. A sustainable policy requires investments in a sustainable industry and a strong welfare state.”
Economic change requires more participation
Ralf Reinstädtler, managing board member of IG Metall, emphasizes the central role of co-determination in change: “For a fair and social transformation, we need more co-determination. Employees should be able to have a say in the strategic direction of the company through works councils. We don’t want to be able to react only when employers have missed the future! We want to have a say – about working conditions, about qualifications, about the products of tomorrow. This is democracy in action and it secures jobs! Trade unions need digital access to companies. The digital lockout must finally come to an end.”
Additional information:
This year, May 1st for the DGB unions has the motto “More wages, more security, more free time”. On this day, workers in Germany and around the world take to the streets for their rights.
Information about the appearances of the chairmen and executive board members of IG Metall can be found here: https://www.igmetall.de/presse/termine