30.05.2018 Ι For the first time in its history, the employees of the development service provider IAV went on a warning strike for two hours. After three fruitless collective bargaining, they finally want a fair deal. However, the management insists on significant reductions in the starting salaries at IAV. The employees, however, do not want a split.
The employees of the development service provider “Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto und Verkehr” (IAV) stepped on Wednesday for the first time in their history in the warning strike. Around 3600 engineers and technicians in Berlin, Chemnitz, Gifhorn, Ingolstadt, Munich and Sindelfingen put the work down.
At its largest location in Gifhorn, where the Supervisory Board of IAV meets today, 2500 out of 3,500 employees came to a demonstration in front of the gates and blocked the access for the representatives of the management, who traveled to the Supervisory Board meeting. The demonstration train in Gifhorn was transmitted via livestream to all other locations.
For a fair wage agreement: In Chemnitz 300 employees put pressure on the management.
Management wants to cut starting salaries
With their warning strikes IAV employees want to put pressure on the IAV management after three fruitless collective bargaining: They finally want a fair wage agreement at IAV, which is based on the collective bargaining agreement IG Metall for the metal and electrical industry, with an increase in fees by 4.3 percent.
The management of IAV, however, only wants to conclude, if the elected negotiating commission of IG Metall agrees to a clear reduction. Engineers new to IAV are earning significantly less than they used to – and significantly less than the existing workforce, despite the generally complained lack of engineers in the labor market.
“Everyone is shaking their heads.” We have concluded tariff results in the entire metal and electrical industry, including VW and its subsidiaries, but IAV has problems “, criticizes Dietmar Brennecke from IG Metall Wolfsburg, who oversees IAV. “Why do not we know, the dispute is incomprehensible to us, because IAV is a top company.”
The more than 7,000 employees worldwide develop in high quality for many car manufacturers worldwide, in their own IAV development centers and their own laboratories. In the last 10 years, the number of employees has doubled, the turnover increased from 375 to 850 million euros. And: For over 25 years, the development service provider has its own collective agreement with the IG Metall and is thus also a showcase company in the service industry.
Employees against division and for warning strike
“All areas are fully utilized for many years, the forecasts are great and our customers praise our competent employees, so it is incomprehensible to us that the management does not appreciate this and claims that we are at risk”, criticized Mark Bäcker, chairman of the works council largest IAV location in Gifhorn near Wolfsburg and member of the IG Metall negotiating commission. “We are desperately looking for professionals to handle the orders that IAV has been able to acquire because of its outstanding team, and the management has nothing better to do than demotivate the workforce and discourage applicants? That’s a bit of a madhouse!”
In fact, the IG Metall negotiating committee has already offered the management board compromises and discussions on a new charging system in the previous three collective bargaining negotiations. In the past, IG Metall had already accommodated the company with the introduction of lower basic levels in the pay groups.
But one thing the employees do not want: lower fees for newcomers. The works councils have collected this feedback from the workforce at company meetings, explains Johannes Katzan, IG Metall negotiator at IAV. “IAV throws the ax to the team spirit and thus the essential resource of the company without any need.” Different pay in the company leads to demotivation and splitting of the workforce, where all the strength should be focused on the team performance at the customer, but the workforce is one Team and does not allow a split In the past few weeks, we have already received inquiries from all locations when we start the warning strikes. “
Before the third collective bargaining on 18 May in Gifhorn had already demonstrated 900 employees for the tariff claim of IG Metall. On Monday, finally, the elected collective bargaining commission of IG Metall voted in favor of IAV for the warning strike.
Today, with more than 3,600 warning strikers nationwide, there were more than four times as many participants – more than half of the employees of the German IAV locations. “Overwhelming”, finds Mark Bäcker the encouragement of the employees. This would not have expected the metal from IAV. “Above all, the employees once again gave us a clear order: We do not let us split.”