“In 2023 there will be no growth that can be distributed.”
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin In the third round of negotiations for the approximately 3.9 million employees in the metal and electrical industry, the employers submitted an initial offer. Accordingly, they are willing to pay an inflation compensation premium of 3000 euros – with a term of the collective agreement of 30 months. If the union agrees to this long term, a percentage increase in wages and salaries is also conceivable, said Stefan Wolf, President of the Gesamtmetall Employers’ Association.
“We see the particular stress that our employees are currently exposed to,” emphasized Wolf. The one-off payment now being offered is of immediate help and is of particular benefit to employees in the lower wage brackets. IG Metall went into the negotiations with a demand for eight percent more money over a period of twelve months.
The first two negotiations, conducted at regional level, had not yet brought any rapprochement. Employers refer to the difficult economic environment. According to a general metal survey, every sixth company in the metal and electrical industry sees its existence threatened by the increased energy prices. Negotiations were scheduled for Wednesday in the tariff areas of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Central and Coast.
With the 3,000 euros offered, the metal employers are making full use of the scope of the special payment, which the federal government wants to exempt from taxes and duties by the end of 2024. The money therefore reaches the employees without any deductions, and the employers save the social security contributions. The law that makes the special payment possible came into force this week.
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IG Metall has demanded a deal that should run until September 2023, said Wolf. During this period, however, there will be no growth that can be distributed. Even the trade union Institute for Macroeconomics and Business Cycle Research (IMK) expects the economy to contract in the coming year instead of growing.
>> Read the interview with the overall metal President Stefan Wolf here: “Order backlogs are melting like ice in the sun”
Growth can be expected again in 2024 at the earliest, said Wolf. Collective bargaining must also take this situation into account. The President of Gesamtmetall indicated that employers can only imagine a percentage increase in employee wages from 2024 onwards.
The peace obligation ends on Saturday at midnight, and warning strikes are possible from then on. IG Metall has already made it clear that it has made all preparations for a labor dispute.
More: Collective bargaining agreement for chemistry stands – employees receive 6.5 percent more money plus a special payment