IG Metall rejects the plans for a tax-free one-off payment as a means of compensating for inflation. A spokeswoman referred on Monday to statements made by union boss Jörg Hofmann at the beginning of the month.
When Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) announced a concerted action, the first chairman of the largest German trade union said: “Collective bargaining is not conducted in the Chancellery. It is not politics that decides on the goals of our collective bargaining policy, but rather the collective bargaining commissions and committees of IG Metall.”
IG Metall wants to push through strong increases in the permanently effective salary scales for the approximately 3.8 million employees in the metal and electrical industry in the wage negotiations that are due to start in September. Hofmann explained that politicians could help to cope with inflation by taking further steps to relieve the burden on citizens and skimming off speculative profits.
Verdi boss Frank Werneke also rejects the chancellor’s plans. “One-off payments don’t get us any further,” said Werneke on Monday in the “Radiowelt” program on Bayern 2. Rather, it is the very own task of the collective bargaining parties that permanently rising prices also result in permanently effective collective wage increases. “And I don’t see that politicians can do that for us either.”
Werneke referred to their own wage negotiations, for example for the ports, Lufthansa or the public sector. The increased prices would need to be offset by a linear value, a percentage increase, he said. One possibility is also base amounts. However, these are not one-off payments, but would be effective as a monthly payment.
Despite his negative attitude towards one-off payments, Werneke announced that there was something to be discussed in the planned concerted action in the Chancellery. “We need a third relief package that will take effect in the fall,” Werneke demanded.
Recipients of state benefits and pensioners should also be supported in this regard. Next Monday (July 4th), a dialogue initiated by Scholz with the social partners and the Bundesbank in the fight against inflation will begin.
