The IG-Metall is full of energy.  This year, the IG-Metall sent employers a lot of claims.  The metalworkers’ union, which negotiates the wages of 3.6 million employees in the automotive, machine-tool and electrical engineering industries, is calling for a 6.5 percent wage increase over 12 months, the permanent recruitment of apprentices and, finally, a right of scrutiny over the recruitment and remuneration of agency workers.  “There will be no agreement if we cannot find a reasonable compromise over these three points” declared IG-Metall leader Bertold Huber.  For his part, Oliver Burkhard, leader of the IG-Metall in North Rhine-Westphalia, announced that, if employers’ offers don’t change, the conflict would escalate quickly.  “Warning strikes are only the beginning.  We’re ready for a fight.”  Indeed, the first strikes started on Sunday, May 29 in about 20 businesses.  They resumed on Wednesday, May 2 at 4 A.M., first in a Daimler plant, then spreading to about 100 businesses over the day.  Thousands of employees are involved in these warning strikes, which should go on across the country until May 8, when the social partners will meet around the bargaining table.  Huber is expecting a conclusion “at Whitsun at the latest.”  “If we have nothing by then, we will ballot our members for a strike” he threatened. 
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t change, the conflict would escalate quickly. “Warning strikes are only the beginning. We’re ready for a fight.” Indeed, the first strikes started on Sunday, May 29 in about 20 businesses. They resumed on Wednesday, May 2 at 4 A.M., first in a Daimler plant, then spreading to about 100 businesses over the day. Thousands of employees are involved in these warning strikes, which should go on across the country until May 8, when the social partners will meet around the bargaining table. ...

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