Ahead of major collective bargaining talks, Germany’s IG Metall is demanding a 5% pay increase for roughly 3.7 million engineering-industry workers. The union acknowledged that manufacturers, particularly automakers, are under significant economic pressure but said workers should not have to accept deteriorating wages or employment rights. The negotiations come as Germany’s industrial sector confronts restructuring, international competition, tariffs, and potential job cuts. The scale of the bargaining unit makes the negotiations particularly significant for German labor relations.
See "German union demands 5% raise for workers in strained engineering industry", Rachel More, Reuters, September 23, 2026