The first wage round for the metal and electrical industry in Saxony-Anhalt has remained without result. Representatives of IG Metall and the Association of the Metal and Electrical Industry Saxony-Anhalt (VME) were unable to agree on specific points during the one-and-a-half hour talks in Magdeburg on Monday. Negotiations are scheduled to resume on October 4th.
The union then spoke of an incomprehensible reaction on the part of the employer. “Forgoing pay increases and possibly still existing special payments at the moment is not the right message for employees,” said IG Metall negotiator Thorsten Gröger. Employers emphasized that the union’s eight percent requirement was “not negotiable” given the economic burden on the industry.
The IG Metall wants eight percent more money and anchor this increase in a collective agreement that will run for twelve months if possible. She refuses one-off payments. IG Metall explained to the employers why a pay increase of eight percent was necessary, the union said. “The private consumption of employees is the pillar of the economy. Not strengthening purchasing power here would be a fatal step. It’s about maintaining the prosperity of the people in the country as best as possible and not letting inflation gallop away,” said Gröger.
VME negotiator Frank Aschenbach said that the concerns of the employees in view of the high inflation and ever increasing prices are shared. “However, the enormous price increases hit the companies with the same force and cannot be compensated for by their own sales prices.” According to Aschenbach, most companies are simply unable to cope with inflation. In his view, the legitimate interests of employers and employees must be balanced “more urgently than ever” in order to maintain the competitiveness and future viability of companies in the interests of both sides.
Aschenbach called on the union to find a result that would do justice to everyone. For its part, IG Metall stressed that it was expecting an offer in the next round of negotiations in October.
