Germany's metalworkers reject first pay offer and warn of strikes
27.10.2026
Germany's powerful IG Metall union on Tuesday rejected an initial employers' offer and warned of strike action.
The union negotiates regional collective bargaining agreements covering more than 3.7 million employees in Germany's metalworking and electrical industries, including the key automotive sector.
"This offer comes too late, is too low, runs for too long and offers little in the way of a future," Knut Giesler, head of the union's North Rhine-Westphalia district, said. He added that the offer fell "significantly short" of employees' expectations and said that IG Metall had "categorically" rejected it.
Gesamtmetall, the employers' national organization, has proposed a permanent increase in pay rates of 1.3% from July 2028. For next year, employers are proposing a one-off payment in July equivalent to 1% of the average annual gross salary, with loss-making companies exempted.
The union sees the offer as leading to further losses in real wages in the light of inflation, which came in at an annual 3.3% in September.
Following two rounds of negotiations, initial rolling strikes now appear likely. They could begin as early as this Sunday, after the end of the legally mandated standstill period during which industrial action is prohibited.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, the bargaining commission is due to decide on Saturday whether to proceed.
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