The second round of negotiations on the collective labor agreement for metal workers started on Monday. The unions are demanding 11.6 percent more wages and improvements for students. “We look forward to the counter offer,” it said in advance.
“Various solutions are being discussed,” says a spokesperson for the employers. The first discussions last week were said to have been constructive, but were without results. The metal technology industry trade association said full compensation for inflation over the past 12 months would not be feasible.
Employer: “Nothing left to distribute”
Economists expect a “mild recession” this year and a slight rebound next year. Productivity in the industry fell 2.7 percent, Christian Knill, president of the Metal Technology Industry Association, said in a broadcast on Sunday. “This is the worst value in years and translates into: there is nothing left to distribute.”
Unions: Maintain purchasing power
For their part, the GPA and PRO-GE unions have stressed the need to preserve purchasing power and compensate for the failures of the turquoise-green federal government in the fight against high inflation. They argue for an 11.6 percent pay increase for the approximately 200,000 employees, easier access to the sixth week of vacation and the opportunity to choose more time off instead of higher wages.
In addition, the approximately 8,000 students must be placed on an equal footing with graduates of higher vocational education upon graduation.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
