IG Metall seeks five per cent more in German bargaining round
The German union links its pay demand to job security, investment and possible profit-sharing.
IG Metall is entering the new negotiations for Germany’s metal and electrical engineering industry with a demand for a five per cent pay rise over twelve months. The union also wants agreements on employment, locations, lower pay grades and profit-sharing at economically strong companies.
The demand was set by IG Metall’s executive board on Wednesday after regional negotiating committees had previously approved it. The first talks with employers are scheduled for 7 October. It is one of Germany’s most important industrial collective bargaining rounds, affecting sectors including mechanical engineering, electronics and parts of the automotive industry.
IG Metall says the economic situation differs sharply from one company to another. According to the union, some companies are in difficulty while others are growing. It therefore wants to discuss not only a general pay rise but also agreements intended to protect jobs and production locations.
For lower pay grades, the union is seeking a social component. Workers at economically strong companies could also share in profits. The proposals are not yet a collective bargaining agreement and say nothing about what employers are prepared to offer. The final outcome will depend on the negotiations and potentially on industrial action during the bargaining round.
The demand follows earlier pay increases in the sector. According to IG Metall, fixed monthly wages rose by 3.1 per cent in April 2026 as a result of the previous agreement. The union also points to higher living and energy costs. Employers are expected to weigh the pay demand against competitive pressure, orders, investment and the international position of German industrial companies.
The German Trade Union Confederation DGB puts the number of workers covered by the forthcoming negotiations in the Mitte region at approximately 388,000. That figure applies to Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Thuringia and is not automatically the number of workers in the German sector as a whole. The nationwide size of the bargaining group therefore cannot be inferred from a single regional figure.
For Dutch companies, the round is particularly relevant if they have German production sites, suppliers or competitors. An agreement could affect labour costs and purchasing power in Germany. At the same time, a dispute could disrupt production planning. As of 23 September, however, there was still no employers’ offer, and therefore no basis for calculating the eventual costs or effects on the market.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- IG Metall is seeking a five per cent pay rise over twelve months.
- The union also wants to discuss employment, locations, profit-sharing and a social component.
- The first negotiations begin on 7 October.
- There is still no employers’ offer.
Left
Arguments From this perspective, the pay demand is necessary to restore lost purchasing power and give workers a larger share of productivity and profit growth. Job security and regional industrial policy belong in the same negotiation because workers need not only pay but also prospects for the future.
Values Job security, redistribution, solidarity and strong unions.
Consequences Higher wages could support demand and reduce inequality, but increase costs for companies already under pressure.
Centre
Arguments A workable agreement should link wage growth to the situation of individual companies and to investment. A general increase could be combined with a social component and agreements on training and transition, so that strong and weak companies are not treated in exactly the same way.
Values Balance, social partners, economic stability and predictability.
Consequences A compromise could prevent strikes and protect investment, but may deliver less than the original demand.
Right
Arguments Employers should be able to pay wages from sustainable productivity and profits, not from political pressure. In international competition, a high fixed pay increase could lead to jobs and investment moving to cheaper production countries.
Values Competitiveness, enterprise, cost control and flexibility.
Consequences Restraint could give companies room to invest, but could leave workers facing higher costs and uncertainty.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The central facts about the five per cent demand, the additional requests and the start date have been confirmed by the union and DGB. The effects on companies remain scenarios because employers have not yet made an offer.
- confirmed IG Metall is seeking a five per cent pay rise over twelve months. — National IG Metall publication dated 23 September 2026. source
- confirmed The negotiations begin on 7 October. — Date given by IG Metall. source
- confirmed IG Metall also wants agreements on employment, locations and profit-sharing. — Part of the demands. source
- confirmed Monthly wages rose by 3.1 per cent in April 2026. — IG Metall describes this previous increase. source
- incorrect Employers have already made a counteroffer. — The available sources report a new demand and no employers’ offer yet. source
Editor's note
The pay demand, duration and additional demands have been confirmed by IG Metall and DGB. At the time of publication, there was still no employers’ offer; independent estimates of the macroeconomic effects were therefore unavailable.Sources
- Tarifrunde Metall und Elektro 2026 — IG Metall
- Aktuelle Tarifverhandlungen der DGB-Gewerkschaften — DGB
- Forderungsbeschluss für Metall- und Elektroindustrie — IG Metall Mitte
- Jetzt mehr Geld in der Metall- und Elektroindustrie — IG Metall
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „ig metall”
- NU.nl — „ig metall”
- De Telegraaf — „ig metall”