Rubber industry: Collective bargaining for 70,000 employees in Hanover!

Rubber industry: Collective bargaining for 70,000 employees in Hanover!

Collective bargaining for around 70,000 employees is on the agenda in Germany's rubber industry. The third round of negotiations between the IGBCE union and the employers' association ADK is taking place today in Hanover. The negotiations begin at 10 a.m. in a hotel, although the duration is uncertain. The majority of employees work in Hesse and Lower Saxony, with the focus on automotive suppliers, especially tire manufacturers such as Goodyear and Pirelli.

In addition, the negotiations are important for numerous other industries, such as condom manufacturers (like Mapa) and producers of baby pacifiers, life jackets and hospital tubes. The IGBCE failed to reach an agreement in the first two rounds of negotiations, which took place in April and May. Therefore, both sides are aiming for a result in this third round to overcome the uncertainties.

Union demands

The union is demanding a wage increase of 6.7 percent, an increase in trainee pay and benefits for union members. A central concern is improving conditions in shift work, particularly through higher allowances. The term of the collective agreement should be set at 12 months. Negotiator Katharina Stihler explains the employees' desire for more income to cope with everyday life and sees the demands as realistic in view of the increased cost of living and positive economic forecasts for the industry. These demands were already decided on March 6th in Fulda by the Federal Tariff Commission of the IGBCE DGB reported.

The employer offer

The employers' offer provides for two increases of 40 and 50 euros each with a term of 25 months. Employers are also showing openness to an additional bonus for union members. ADK negotiator Thomas Hofmann expressed optimism about a possible compromise. IGBCE negotiator Stihler reported some progress, but is demanding further concessions from employers.

As negotiations continue, it remains to be seen whether the two sides will reach an agreement in today's round, which could be crucial for rubber workers. The current collective wage agreement runs until May 31, 2025.

For more information and a detailed overview of the negotiations and demands, please visit South German newspaper.