IG Metall announces mass automotive industry protests in Germany

The German trade union IG Metall has announced mass protests scheduled for September 21 across the automotive industry. The demonstrations are set to take place nationwide, with significant activity expected in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Workers from major companies, including Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi, Bosch, Mahle, and Daimler Truck, are expected to participate.

The protests are organized ahead of a new round of collective bargaining negotiations. Under the slogan ‘Unity is our strongest brand,’ workers are protesting against austerity programs, job cuts, and the potential relocation of production to other countries. The union stated that workers should not be ‘scapegoats for a crisis they did not create’ or pay for management errors and geopolitical conflicts.

A central point of contention is the debate over working hours. Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius has proposed a 40-hour work week while maintaining pay levels based on the current 35-hour week. IG Metall President Christiane Benner has rejected this proposal, noting that working 40 hours for 35 hours of pay would effectively result in a 14 percent wage reduction.