04.11.2022 | The bargaining committee has met twice. After long, intensive debates, the demand for the upcoming salary bargaining has now been determined: 8 percent pay increase and profit-sharing for all employees, including a first instalment in 2023.
On 14 and 27 October, the representatives of the IG Metall members at CARIAD met in the bargaining committee. Termination of the collective wage agreements raised the question as to what claim should be made against CARIAD.
Inflation is a major concern for workers
The members of the bargaining committee were particularly focused on figuring out how high the salary demand must be. Due to the massive inflation, many IG Metall members had told their representatives to the bargaining committee that they wanted a substantial pay increase. Accordingly, the bargaining committee struggled to find the right demand.
Wage increase is only part of the solution
In the end, the bargaining committee opted to follow the same concept as the bargaining committees in the metal and electrical industry and at Volkswagen: A strong wage increase is clearly necessary.
However, the wage increase alone cannot solve the problem of high energy prices and the inflation they drive. It would be an overload for the collective bargaining system. Since inflation is also politically induced, part of the solution must also be provided by policy changes.
Only a strong and lasting increase in wages combined with government relief measures can successfully mitigate the impact of inflation. This is the reason why IG Metall has been putting pressure on the federal government for months. The collective bargaining committee for CARIAD SE has vigorously discussed this relationship and has therefore decided to demand a meaningful and permanent wage increase of eight percent.
Eliminating inequity
Another important topic in the bargaining committee was the inequity regarding profit-sharing. About one third of the workers rightly continue to receive profit-sharing bonuses as a security from their old employment contracts.
Many IG Metall members had taken the issue to their bargaining committee members. There had also been many discussions about it at the members’ summit in Berlin. The bargaining committee members quickly agreed that there should be profit-sharing for all CARIAD members. Consequently, this is another part of the collective bargaining demand for 2023. Giving all workers profit-sharing bonuses is intended to eliminate the current inequity and create a uniform system for all CARIAD employees. The profit-sharing scheme should be launched as early as next year. This also means that the first instalment should be made to CARIAD members as early as 2023.
Collective bargaining between IG Metall and the employer will start in December 2022.
IG Metall Berlin invites its members at CARIAD Northeast to a digital general meeting on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at 3:00 pm. There, the Berlin members of the bargaining committee will explain the demand and the further course of the collective bargaining round. We will also be happy to answer your questions. You are not yet a member of IG Metall? Then join quickly to support the demand: www.igmetall.de/beitreten