[ad_1]
Surprisingly, the union and the employer agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement for the 130,000 employees in the metal technology industry in the first round of negotiations. The crisis of the crown led to a quick conclusion. Real wages and salaries and KV will increase 1.45 percent from November. Companies are also recommended to pay a crown bond of 150 euros.
Employers are pleased with the historically quick conclusion related to the crown. “It was very important to reach an agreement very quickly,” President of the Association of the Metal Technology Industry (FMTI), Christian Knill, told reporters. They didn’t want to cause a lot of unrest in companies through lengthy collective bargaining, Knill said. Due to the corona crisis, the metal tech industry expects a drop in sales of around 20 percent this year.
The agreement was reached on the first day of the collective agreement negotiations. In the lead-up to negotiations, employers actually wanted to postpone KV negotiations until 2021. “This pay round is very different,” said the union’s chief negotiator, Rainer Wimmer (Pro-Ge). A “great responsibility” was assumed in this situation.
The entire metal industry has 190,000 employees. Since 2012, the six trade associations or professional groups of the WKÖ have been negotiating collective agreements separately at the request of employers and against union resistance. Qualification in the metal technology industry is seen as trendsetting and serving as a model for future collective bargaining.
In trade, the KV talks will be difficult, as WKÖ trade chairman Rainer Trefelik said. “We will have to differentiate ourselves,” he emphasized. Because while the grocery business is doing quite well, the bankruptcy wave is already rolling in the fashion industry.
The union recently came out in favor of one-time payments, which should be based on the economic success of the respective company. Those who earn well should pay more. Those who did not earn well should pay enough to secure and strengthen their purchasing power.
The idea is not new. In 2009 there was a one-time payment of 100 to 250 euros for employees in the metal industry, regardless of income, which was based on the amount of the operating result (EBIT) of the respective company. Worker representatives want to achieve something similar in collective bargaining for commercial employees. (apa)
