German trade unions are starting call for a shift in the current distribution of voting rights on corporate supervisory boards between shareholder representatives and those representing employees. The main driver behind this call is the IG Metall union, which believes that during the current round of sector-based collective bargaining, employee opinion can take priority as regards decisions on the implications of the digital and electrical transitions as well as on the future of the production sites. The IG BCE chemicals union has also come out in favor of such changes in co-determination, and particularly in the context of the labor dispute currently underway at the Conti equipment manufacturer.
Salary increase negotiations hitting hurdles. Collective bargaining in the metallurgy sector (3.8 million employees) got underway before Christmas across the various trade union districts. Notwithstanding the lack of any concrete results so far, the contours of the negotiations are beginning to take shape and certain stumbling blocks are emerging. The union’s primary demands include a 4% salary increase, the potential for implementing ‘intelligent’ working time reduction models (i.e. with...
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