Germany: IG-Metall wants to durably add political factors to the “calculation” of collective claims

Correct growing social imbalances.  In an interview published on his federation’s website, Oliver Burkhard, one of the union’s heavyweights, announced the opening of a debate within the IG-Metall on the evolution of the content of collective claims.  “If employers get major advantages from political decisions they helped make, they should be surprised if we ask for something in return” Burkhard explained, notably referring to the pension and health insurance reforms: “Retirement at 67 is only good for employers.  For employees, it means lower pensions.  On this, we can restore the balance by requesting additional contributions from employers for employees’ pensions” he said.  Same token for health: “The new reform provides that only employees will bear future increases in health contributions.  Thus, the political world is abandoning an equal system of social insurance funding which has been time-tests.  Here too, we can do something via collective agreements” he added.