The national committee of Germany's industrial IG Metall union plans to demand a pay increase of at least 7.5 percent in the forthcoming wage round, a German magazine reported on Saturday. Der Spiegel magazine said the national board of IG Metall would follow several influential regional chapters and submit a demand of at least 7.5 percent to the wage commission.
The magazine did not cite any sources. The union's national committee will discuss the demand on Monday before making a final recommendation for the country's 3.6 million workers in the sector on September 23. Talks will then get underway with employers. Union officials have said they are ready to stage walkouts to push their demand for a better deal than in 2007.
In the last week, several chapters of IG Metall have agreed on a demand for an increase of between 7 percent and 8 percent although some had originally been thinking of a rise of up to 10 percent, said Der Spiegel. In last year's wage round, the union settled for a two-stage wage increase of 4.1 percent and 1.7 percent in a contract running for 19 months that expires at the end of October.
The European Central Bank is watching wage agreements closely and is wary of higher settlements following a spike in headline inflation. Earlier this week, the union's influential chapter in the south-western state of Baden-Wuerttemberg said it was seeking an increase of 7-8 percent.
Comments
Comments are closed.