The IF Metall union has concluded new collective agreements in manufacturing (engineering, steel, and chemicals) and mining. These agreements cover 22 months, from 1 April 2010 to 31 January 2012. Pay increases will be 0.9% by 1 June 2010 and 2.3% by 1 June 2011, implying 1.7% increase on an annual basis. In those sectors where companies still have problems due to the crisis, temporary agreements as of March 2009 are prolonged until 31 October 2010. This means that local parties can negotiate a temporary reduction of working hours with 20% and reduced wages, in order to avoid losing skilled workers. In order to be prepared for a new recession, parties agreed to create a training system within the agreement period. Concerning gender issues, it was agreed to take further steps to diminish the gender pay gap, through common information, training, common recommendations for wage analysis, and finding common measurement instruments. Parties also agreed to expand the extra benefit of 10% for one more month for workers on parental leave, thus up to six instead of five months.
English: message of EUCOBAN network of EMF / EFFAT / ETUF-TCL / EMCEF
For more information, please contact the editor Maarten van Klaveren, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) M.vanKlaveren@uva.nl. You may find further information on the ETUI atwww.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net. © ETUI aisbl, Brussels 2009.