Tens of thousands of German industrial workers on strike
By
our reporters
1 February 2018
One-day strikes by industrial workers in Germany’s automotive, metal and electrical industry began on Tuesday evening. According to figures from the IG Metall trade union, work stopped at 80 facilities employing some 68,000 workers on Wednesday. Strikes at an additional 200 operations will occur by Friday. Up to 500,000 workers are likely to take part in the strikes, making them the largest in this sector for 15 years.
The strikes are dominated by a glaring contradiction. While enormous anger over the enrichment of the corporations and continuous deterioration in working conditions exists among workers, the trade unions are doing everything to prevent a broad mobilisation of the working class and to sell out the strike.
IG Metall has long abandoned its original goal of a six percent annual wage increase. It has made major concessions to the employers’ provocative offer of three percent by offering to agree to a 3.6 percent rise. In addition, the union has indicated its willingness to accept an extension of the 35-hour workweek. IG Metall has only called the strikes to let off steam before reaching a miserable deal with the employers.
“Our goal remains a deal without unlimited strikes,” said IG Metall head Jörg Hofmann in Frankfurt on Wednesday. “IG Metall is as always interested in constructive solutions at the negotiating table. Our door is open for further talks.”
However, the workers did not vote for strikes due to their expectation of such a deal, but because of their anger at years of wage stagnation. In every factory, they voted by an overwhelming majority for the protest. At the Mercedes Benz axel plant in Kassel, 98 percent of workers voted for a strike. At…