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German Carmakers Face Longer Strikes This Week
Germany’s carmakers are bracing for day-long strikes this week after negotiations with the IG Metall labor union stalled on Saturday.
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Germany’s carmakers are bracing for day-long strikes this week after negotiations with the IG Metall labor union stalled on Saturday.
The union’s members have been staging one-hour protests this month without result. Longer strikes would escalate the economic impact on manufacturers. Talks broke off over the weekend after 16 hours of non-stop negotiations.
IG Metall, which represents some 3.9 million workers in Germany, is demanding an 8% pay hike. Reports say the union also wants workers to gain the right to reduce their normal work week to 28 hours from 35 hours if they need to care for their children, parents or relatives. Workers would retain the ability to return to full work hours after two years.
Employers are offering a 6.8% wage increase. But they want to link workers’ rights to cut their own hours with employer rights to demand longer work weeks as necessary. The union offered a plan that would enable workers to decide between time off and extra pay to maintain their normal hours.
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