Consulted on proposed directive harmonizing Member States' laws on chemical substance worker protection
In an ongoing tussle, negotiations for the 60,000 employees in Germany's electrical and electronics sector remain unresolved. Even in the fourth round last Friday, a deal eluded the social partners. The employers' offer, initially a mere 0.5% wage hike, was boosted to 1.5%, but the union deemed it a paltry 1.26% below the inflation rate of 2.76%.
Union big-wigs Reinhold Binder of Pro-Ge and Eva Scherz of GPA unleashed their fury, calling the employers' offer an "insulting provocation." They're also disgruntled over the proposed zero-wage round for troubled companies.
Electro KV: Union demands substantial wage increaseIn response, works meetings are set to occur from May 12 to May 14.
On the flip side, the Federation of the Electrical and Electronics Industry (FEEI) had warned earlier about the hefty labor costs that often struggle to be passed onto customers.
The forthcoming collective agreement (CA) will kick in from May 1. A fifth round of negotiations is in the works. If a breakthrough doesn't happen even then, the union plans to crank up the pressure.
Binder recently warned that the union's hardline stance was necessary to deter investors from fleeing.
Sticky Negotiations in the Paper Industry
Meanwhile, in the paper industry, negotiations for approximately 8,000 employees have also hit a snag in the third round. Although employers have withdrawn their demand for a zero round following the previous week's works meetings, their offer is still "a laughable 0.35%" below the inflation rate of 2.65%, as per union statements.
The cause for this disconnect lies in the proposed cap that would erode most employees' real buying power despite a rise in industry turnover and production volume.
Cheated Out of a Fair Deal
Apart from the cap, the employers' offer mirrors that of the electrical industry, featuring a special regulation for struggling companies. From the unions' perspective, this selective treatment could compromise work-life equity: "Such drastic differentiation within the paper industry is unheard of - equating to: same work, different pay depending on financial status. We vehemently oppose this," asserted Werner Leitner, federal branch chairman of Pro-Ge union.
The next round of negotiations is slated for May 19, 2025. The union has already secured strike approval from the ÖGB in advance.
- The union in the electrical and electronics sector, Pro-Ge and GPA, finding the employers' offer insufficient, have demanded a substantial wage increase.
- In contrast, the Federation of the Electrical and Electronics Industry (FEEI) has warned about the potential struggle of passing on hefty labor costs to customers.
- In the paper industry, negotiations for approximately 8,000 employees have also stalled, with the employers' offer still substantially below the inflation rate, causing unions to oppose the proposed cap and selective treatment of struggling companies.
- The unions, not only in the electrical and electronics sector but also in the paper industry, are keen on economic and social policy developments that ensure fair wages and work-life equity.
