Germany’s metal and electrical industry entered a new phase of labour unrest on Sunday, as the union IG Metall began warning strikes across several plants after employers’ latest wage offer was rejected. The action began just after midnight, when a formal truce between the two sides, known as the Friedenspflicht, expired, according to Reuters.
The first strike took place at Thyssenkrupp’s Rasselstein tinplate plant in Andernach, where around 300 employees walked off the night shift. Further stoppages followed at RF 360 Europe/Qualcomm in Munich and at the aluminium foundry KSM Castings in Hildesheim, with a worker protest also planned in Bielefeld, Reuters and Daily Sabah reported.
A dispute over inflation and timing
IG Metall formally demanded a 5% wage increase on September 23 for the roughly 3.7 million workers covered by the industry’s collective agreement. Negotiations began on October 7 but stalled, with employers’ group Gesamtmetall initially rejecting the demand outright, citing weak production and rising costs.
On October 27, regional employer associations presented a joint offer: a one-time payment equal to roughly 1% of the average annual gross tariff wage, to be paid in July 2027, followed by a permanent 1.3% increase that would not take effect until July 2028. IG Metall said the delayed structure effectively amounts to a pay cut once inflation is taken into account, and announced the warning strikes two days later.
“The midnight strike at Thyssenkrupp Rasselstein is merely the opening act of a major wave of industrial action,” said Jörg Köhlinger, IG Metall’s regional head, according to Yahoo News (Reuters).
IG Metall chairwoman Christiane Benner described the union’s reaction to the employers’ offer as one of “incomprehension and anger,” according to the same report.
Automotive sector under pressure
Employers argue the modest offer reflects a difficult environment for German industry, particularly carmakers, who face high costs and growing international competition. They have also proposed a company-level instrument meant to help protect investment, production sites and jobs, an idea IG Metall considers insufficient on its own.
Beyond pay, the union is also pushing for job security guarantees as part of the broader settlement. With warning strikes typically used as a pressure tactic during German wage negotiations rather than a full walkout, both sides are expected to return to the table, though IG Metall has signalled that further and larger actions could follow if the employers’ position does not shift.
This article was researched and drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by Lasse Pedersen before publication. How we use AI
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