In the autumn, several wage negotiations ended in disputes and strikes. This is now threatening again: the spring wage rounds are starting for around 130,000 industrial employees in some sectors. The unions are already calling for “sustainable increases to combat inflation”.
The Pro-Ge and GPA unions are using annual inflation since February 2023 to date, which stands at 6.8 percent, as a basis for negotiations. To do this they demand a share of the increased productivity in the industries concerned.
“The federal government has no obligation to combat inflation. “Sustainable wage increases remain the only way to maintain workers’ purchasing power,” lamented the chief negotiators of the electricity industry union, who are now starting their round of collective bargaining with their 60,000 employees.
Discussions are also starting in the paper industry (8,000 employees). The textile industry (7,500 people) will follow next week, followed on April 4 by the chemical industry, the third largest industry with 50,000 employees. In May it is time for glass production (7,000 employees).
A slightly more relaxed starting point than in autumn
It is of course still unclear whether the negotiations will lead to strikes such as in the autumn. The starting point is slightly more flexible because inflation at the time was considerably higher at 9.6 percent than it is now. The union members therefore demanded 11.6 percent more wages for the metal workers; the negotiations, including interim labor meetings and strikes, then lasted eight rounds. Ultimately, they agreed on 8.6 percent more money.
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.
