Germany: IG-Metall says the crisis and environmental turn compel to rethink metalworkers’ working time

Massive and durable decline in employment load. “We have to find new working time schemes allowing a) to answer individual flexibility needs and b) to take account of workers’ wage situation” the leader of the IG-Metall in Bade-Wurttemberg – the federation which sets the tone for collective agreements in Germany – declared. Mr. Höffmann notably referred to major wage cuts following massive short-time working. “We are currently facing the biggest working time reduction in the history of the Federal Republic” he said. He thinks that, even if there is a strong recovery, if will be difficult to get back to the same level of employment as before the crisis. “Some sectors will return to full employment while others will remain well below their past level.” He thinks that the durable reduction of the employment volume is not simply due to the crisis or to increased productivity and lower added value in businesses. The environmental turn in carmaking should also add to this trend: “The added value of an electrical car should be much lower, especially for subcontractors” he explained, adding that a six-cylinder petrol engine gives more work than a four-cylinder electric motor.
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history of the Federal Republic” he said. He thinks that, even if there is a strong recovery, if will be difficult to get back to the same level of employment as before the crisis. “Some sectors will return to full employment while others will remain well below their past level.” He thinks that the durable reduction of the employment volume is not simply due to the crisis or to increased productivity and lower added value in businesses. The environmental turn in carmaking should also add to thi

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