Catherwood LibraryILR School

Only one day after resuming contract negotiations that had stalled for over a month (see WIT for May 14, 2002), German engineering union IG Metall and employers in the state of Baden-Wurttemburg have reached a tentative agreement that will cover over 800,000 workers and bring an end to almost seven weeks of strikes in the region (see WIT for April 1, 2002). Covering over 800,000 workers, the eighteen-month contract provides for a four percent raise for the first year, a 3.1 percent raise for the following six months, and a once only payment of $110 for all workers this month. The Baden-Wurttemburg agreement will likely set the pattern for settlements between Metall and manufacturers in other regions throughout Germany---some of which have been experiencing warning strikes since March in a nationwide dispute over raises (see WIT for March 27, 2002).