News / Germany

All-day strikes planned across Germany after negotiations with employers failed

Monday, 29 January 2018 4:56 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 29 January 2018 7:12 PM ]

This photo taken on January 15, 2018, shows employees of German luxury car maker Porsche shouting slogans during a demonstration as part of a warning strike in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany. (Photo by AFP)

Workers at Germany’s industrial plants plan to stage all-day strikes to push on with their demands for higher wages.

IG Metall union announced Monday that the walkouts later this week would include workers from more than 250 metals and engineering companies across Germany, Reuters reported.

The union said the walkouts were planned after last-ditch regional labor talks over the weekend failed to result in a deal on better wages and more flexible working hours.

The union is demanding that metals and engineering workers reap the benefits of Germany's fastest economic growth in six years and the country’s record low unemployment. It demands an 8-percent pay rise over 27 months for 3.9 million workers.

It also wants reduced weekly work hours of 28 from the normal 35 for a limited two-year period for workers who have to care for children, elderly or sick relatives.

Employers have rejected the conditions, saying the maximum pay raise would be 6.8 percent and that shorter hours would only be possible if they, too, could increase workers’ hours when deemed necessary.

Knut Giesler, head of IG Metall’s chapter in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, said walkouts at around 70 companies in the populous state would begin in mid-week. He did not elaborate on the name of companies involved.

Carmakers Ford and Daimler and washing machine manufacturer Miele saw short walkouts earlier this month.

Germany, a leading global manufacturing power, has seen not so many all-day strikes and most previous actions lasted a few hours.

The head of IG Metall, Joerg Hofmann, said Saturday that there was a need for increased pressure from the labor side.

“We have to step up the pressure on employers in the coming days so that they show some willingness to compromise,” Hofmann said after the talks with employers failed.

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