Germany: IG-Metall wants to bargain for collective agreements two months early

“The current state of talks (editor’s note: with employers) is advanced enough so we can quickly start early collective bargaining with employers” said Jorg Hoffmann, leader of the IG-Metall in Bade-Wurttemberg, on Thursday, February 4. The same signal came from his counterpart in North Rhine-Westphalia, Oliver Burkhard. If the federal office gives its consent tomorrow, February 9, negotiations may open a few days after, for an agreement signed between the end of February and the beginning of March. The goal is to reach an agreement on job security valid until mid-2012 (see our dispatch No. 1000078). Officially, the IG-Metall didn’t give up the idea of a wage increase but has been sending clear signals for several weeks: if there is an increase, it will be a symbolic one. The current stake is to maintain jobs and the apprenticeship offer, notably by extending short-time working measures after 2010.
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me signal came from his counterpart in North Rhine-Westphalia, Oliver Burkhard. If the federal office gives its consent tomorrow, February 9, negotiations may open a few days after, for an agreement signed between the end of February and the beginning of March. The goal is to reach an agreement on job security valid until mid-2012 (see our dispatch No. 1000078). Officially, the IG-Metall didn’t give up the idea of a wage increase but has been sending clear signals for several weeks: if there is

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