IG Metall
German Metalworkers' Union | |
| Industriegewerkschaft Metall | |
 | |
Members | 2.27 million[1] |
|---|---|
| Affiliations | DGB |
| Website | www.igmetall.de |
IG Metall (German: Industriegewerkschaft Metall, "Industrial Union of Metalworkers'") is the dominant metalworkers' union in Germany, making it the country's largest union[1] as well as Europe's largest industrial union.[2] Analysts of German labor relations consider it a major trend-setter in national bargaining.
The name refers to the union's metalworkers roots dating back to the start of unions in imperial Germany in the 1890s, though this formal organization was founded post-war in 1949.[3] Over the years the union has taken on representation in industries beyond mining of minerals to include manufacturing and industrial production, machinists, printing industry, which includes modern automobile manufacturing and steel production as part of its blue-collar root, but also includes more white-collar sectors such as electrical and other forms of engineering, information systems, and with the combining of formerly separate unions for workers in wood, plastics, textiles and clothing, includes non-metal blue-collar workers. [3]
Major accomplishments of IG Metall in the German labor market include, applied to the regions/covered employees:[3]
- 5 day work week (1959)
- Paid vacation time consessions (1962)
- 40 hr work week (1965–67)
- Paid sick leave (1956)
- 35 hr work week (attempts not yet successful 1984)
- 35 hr work week in metal industry (1995)
IGM is a member of the German Confederation of Trade Unions (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, DGB). IGM is also a member of some international union umbrella organisations.
Recent history
On April 1, 1998 the Gewerkschaft Textil und Bekleidung (GTB),
the trade union of textile and clothing joined IGM.
On January 1, 2000 the Gewerkschaft Holz und Kunststoff (GHK),
the trade union of wood and plastics joined IGM.
Deals agreed by IG Metall in the pilot region of Baden-Württemberg, an industrial and car-making hub and home to Daimler and Bosch, traditionally serve as a template for agreements across the country.[4]
Today, IG Metall mainly represents employees at major car makers such as Daimler, BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen, Audi and industrial giants such as Siemens, Thyssen-Krupp, Airbus, Salzgitter AG, ArcelorMittal, Bosch and smaller mechanic construction companies and car-mechanics. Its membership had been dropping in recent decades, yet the union managed to somewhat reverse that trend recenly by gaining 30,000 members between 2010 and 2015.[1] A record in wage deals, along with a push to recruit more women, young people (e.g. students) and white-collar workers, helped it boost 2015 membership by 121,000 to 2.3 million and income by 3.4 percent to 533 million euros ($582 million); this rise came against a backdrop of generally declining union in Germany.[5]
In 2015, IG Metall and the U.S. United Automobile Workers (UAW) announced that they would deepen their partnership and set up an office in Tennessee to boost labor rights at German automakers and their suppliers based in the United States.[6]
Organisation structure
Regional districts
IGM consists of 7 Bezirke (districts) which are subdivided in Verwaltungstellen (administrative areas):
- Bezirk Baden-Württemberg headquarters located in Stuttgart; 28 Verwaltungstellen
- Bezirk Bayern ( Bavaria ) headquarters located in Munich; 21 Verwaltungstellen
- Bezirk Berlin-Brandenburg-Sachsen ( Berlin + Brandenburg + Saxony ) headquarters located in Berlin; 12 Verwaltungstellen
- Bezirk Frankfurt ( Saarland + Rhineland-Palatinate + Hesse + Thuringia ) headquarters located in Frankfurt/Main; 27 Verwaltungstellen
- Bezirk Küste ( "Küste"= "Sea Coast" ) ( Bremen + Hamburg + Schleswig-Holstein + Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania + North Lower Saxony ) headquarters located in Hamburg; 19 Verwaltungstellen
- Bezirk Niedersachsen und Sachsen-Anhalt ( Middle/South Lower Saxony + Saxony-Anhalt ) headquarters located in Hanover; 20 Verwaltungstellen
- Bezirk Nordrhein-Westfalen ( North Rhine-Westphalia ) headquarters located in Düsseldorf; 47 Verwaltungstellen
Chairpersons
- 1949-1950: Hans Brümmer, Walter Freitag, Wilhelm Petersen
- 1950-1952: Hans Brümmer // 2nd chairman: Walter Freitag
- 1952-1956: Hans Brümmer // 2nd chairman: Otto Brenner
- 1956-1968: Otto Brenner
- 1968-1972: Otto Brenner // 2nd chairman: Eugen Loderer
- 1972-1983: Eugen Loderer // 2nd chairman: Hans Mayr
- 1983-1986: Hans Mayr // 2nd chairman: Franz Steinkühler
- 1986-1989: Franz Steinkühler // 2nd chairman: Karl-Heinz Jansen
- 1989-1993: Franz Steinkühler // 2nd chairman: Klaus Zwickel
- 1993-1998: Klaus Zwickel // 2nd chairman: Walter Riester
- 1998-2003: Klaus Zwickel // 2nd chairman: Jürgen Peters
- 2003-2007: Jürgen Peters // 2nd chairman: Berthold Huber
- 2007-2013: Berthold Huber // 2nd chairman: Detlef Wetzel
- 2013-2015: Detlef Wetzel // 2nd chairman: Jörg Hofmann
- 2015-____: Jörg Hofmann // 2nd chairwoman: Christiane Benner
metall magazine
The IGM magazine metallzeitung has existed since 1949. In 2005 it had a circulation of over 2 million. There are 12 issues per year.
References
- ^ a b c Erik Kirschbaum (June 8, 2015), Moderate head of powerful German union steps down unexpectedly Reuters.
- ^ Hendrik Sackmann (May 18, 2012), German IG Metall, employers confirm 4.3 percent wage deal Reuters.
- ^ a b c Wikipedia DE[better source needed]
- ^ Ilona Wissenbach (July 30, 2015), Germany's IG Metall union agrees 3.4 pct wage rise Reuters.
- ^ Georgina Prodhan (January 20, 2016), German IG Metall union sees economy supporting wage demands Reuters.
- ^ Kirsti Knolle and Tim Ghianni (November 19, 2015), Germany's IG Metall to deepen ties with U.S. union UAW Reuters.
External links
- German homepage
- English section of German Homepage
- http://www.otto-brenner-stiftung.de/englisch.neu/
- online version of the magazine, in German
Further reading
- Thelen, Kathleen. 1993. West European Labor in Transition: Sweden and Germany Compared. World Politics 46, no. 1 (October): 23-49.
