IG Metall is demanding a five percent pay increase for employees in northwest Germany’s steel industry after the union’s responsible collective bargaining committee approved the proposal. The demand matches the position the union has taken in separate negotiations for the metal and electrical industries.
The current steel-sector agreement expires at the end of this year. It runs for 15 months and provides for three months without a pay increase, followed by a 1.75 percent wage rise.
Germany’s steel producers continue to face difficult conditions, including high energy costs and intense competition from Asian suppliers. The northwest German steel industry covers companies in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Bremen and Hesse. Major employers include Thyssenkrupp’s steel division in Duisburg and Salzgitter in Lower Saxony. Around 60,000 workers are covered by the negotiations. Steel companies in Saarland and eastern Germany are subject to separate collective agreements.
IG Metall acknowledged that the industry remains in a challenging economic environment but pointed to initial signs of improvement, including positive trends in steel orders.
Negotiator Knut Giesler said employees who produce steel under demanding conditions and support the sector’s transformation deserved to share fairly in the recovery. He added that workers had faced significant burdens in recent years and continued to deal with high costs for energy, transport and food. The union described its demand as moderate, understandable and fair, and said employees expected an offer reflecting their contribution and increased financial pressures.
Sources: Handelsblatt.