Germany: collective bargaining starts in the textile and clothing industry in western Germany

A few hours to the official start of the negotiations in the textile and clothing industry in western Germany, on October 17 at 2 pm, the IG-Metall metalworkers' union repeated its claims for the sector's 120,000 employees - a 5 percent wage increase over 12 months and an agreement on demography. Calling for moderation, employers asked that the union doesn't underestimate the impact the euro crisis has on the sector. The current collective agreement will expire on October 31, along with the social truce. (Ref. 120611)
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Boost consumption. With €29 billion in sales last year, the IG-Metall claims that German textile and clothing firms are one of the largest consumer good sectors in the country. They employ nearly 400,000 people worldwide, about120,000 in Germany. Not only do they produce all sorts of clothes, they also make technical textile used in almost all the other sectors (seat covers, nets, gas filters, airbags…). With the current shortage in skilled workers, the IG-Metall claims they should offer ap

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