Düsseldorf/Dortmund (dpa/lnw) - According to IG Metall NRW, more than 20,000 employees from 110 companies took part in warning strikes in the wage dispute in the metal and electrical industry on Thursday. In Cologne alone, around 10,000 people from eleven companies had stopped work, the union reported on Thursday in Düsseldorf.
The collective bargaining conflict is in a crucial phase: In the Baden-Württemberg district, the collective bargaining parties wanted to explore in the fifth round on Thursday whether they could agree on a pilot agreement. This would then form the basis for agreements in the other German collective bargaining districts.
In the nationwide regionally conducted negotiations, the employers had each offered one-off payments of 3,000 euros and an unspecified increase in the wage tables for a period of 30 months. IG Metall is demanding eight percent more money for the approximately 3.9 million employees nationwide for a period of twelve months. Around 700,000 people are employed in the sector in NRW.
"Economic stability requires purchasing power, which is why a decent wage increase is now necessary. And it's deserved," said IG Metall chairman Jörg Hofmann at a rally in Dortmund. On Thursday, employers would have the opportunity to end their blockade at the negotiating table and take responsibility for collective bargaining. Your behavior will decide whether a "major conflict" can be avoided, Hofmann said.
