Catherwood LibraryILR School

Germany’s largest trade union IG Metall began holding short part-day warning strikes throughout eastern Germany on Monday, making good on its promise last week to engage in preliminary industrial action if progress was not made in industry-wide contract negotiations (see WIT for March 19, 2002). The union has indicated that it will continue to hold warning strikes in eastern regions throughout the week, and will begin holding warning strikes in western Germany when an injunction against strikes in the area ends this Friday. Despite the union’s insistence on a 6.5 percent raise to offset losses in real wages due to inflation last year, some experts feel that Metall would be willing to compromise on across the board raises if businesses meet its demand to end pay discrepancies between wage-workers and salaried employees who perform equivalent jobs.