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IG Metall Authorizes 24-Hour Strikes in German Industrial Pay Dispute
Germany's IG Metall union has authorized 24-hour warning strikes after three unsuccessful wage negotiation rounds involving approximately 3.7 million metal and electrical industry workers. The union is demanding a 5% wage increase, while employers have proposed a delayed 1.3% raise.
By Paul Ploumis | Published November 12, 2026 | Original reporting: Reuters
Key Points
- Strike authorization: IG Metall approved 24-hour warning strikes on November 12, although no nationwide stoppage date was announced.
- Workers covered: The negotiations involve approximately 3.7 million employees in Germany's metal and electrical industries.
- Union demands: A 5% wage increase, job and production-site protections, and profit-sharing arrangements.
- Employer proposal: A conditional one-off payment in July 2027 and a 1.3% wage increase beginning July 2028.
MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): Germany's IG Metall union authorized 24-hour warning strikes on Thursday, November 12, 2026, escalating a wage dispute covering approximately 3.7 million workers across the country's metal and electrical industries, Reuters reported.
The negotiations affect major industrial employers, including Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Tata Steel. The authorization followed three bargaining rounds without an agreement, with the union accusing employers of obstructing progress.
No nationwide date for the 24-hour stoppages was announced. The union's plans require further workplace-level decisions before participating employees begin full-day industrial action.
IG Metall Demands 5% Pay Increase and Job Protections
IG Metall is seeking a 5% wage increase, measures to safeguard employment and production facilities, and profit-sharing arrangements in sectors performing strongly.
Employers have proposed a one-off payment equivalent to 1% in July 2027, followed by a 1.3% wage increase beginning July 2028. Financially troubled companies would be permitted to withhold the one-off payment.
The union rejected the offer, arguing that the delayed increase would effectively reduce workers' wages after accounting for inflation.
Employers Warn Longer Strikes Could Add Pressure
Regional employers' associations criticized calls for 24-hour stoppages on Wednesday, warning that extended industrial action could cause further damage to manufacturing businesses already facing difficult economic conditions.
IG Metall said approximately 464,000 employees had participated in shorter warning strikes before the latest escalation.
The union's authorization permits longer industrial action, but the extent of any production disruptions will depend on participating facilities and the timing of individual stoppages.
ScrapMonster Edge: Strike Authorization Does Not Mean Production Has Stopped
The 3.7 million workers covered by negotiations are not all confirmed strike participants. IG Metall has authorized 24-hour warning strikes, but the scale of any resulting disruption will depend on workplace decisions and the facilities involved.
Industry takeaway: Steel suppliers, scrap processors and industrial buyers should monitor confirmed stoppage dates, affected production sites and shipment schedules. The authorization alone does not establish lost steel production or interrupted deliveries.
Union Offers Conditional Concessions for Investment Commitments
IG Metall previously proposed a temporary arrangement that would allow employees at financially pressured companies to make limited concessions, provided employers make binding commitments to investment, production facilities and employment.
The proposal seeks to give struggling businesses flexibility while tying concessions to commitments intended to preserve industrial capacity and jobs.
The dispute remains unresolved, with further bargaining and workplace strike decisions determining the next developments.
Courtesy: www.reuters.com
