German trade union calls for protest against automotive cuts

Germany's influential IG Metall trade union plans to stage demonstrations at more than 200 locations across Germany on September 21 to protest against job cuts and other demands being made of workers in the automotive industry.

Union leader Christiane Benner said workers were bearing the brunt of the sector's crisis. 

"We are currently witnessing an unprecedented attack on workers in the automotive industry," she said, adding that the key issue at stake was the 35-hour week. 

Within Germany’s automotive sector, the 35-hour working week is a collectively bargained standard. To respond to the current challenges faced by the sector, car manufacturers are floating an increase to a 40-hour working week, without salary adjustments. 

Jens Schäfer, works council chairman at ZF automotive supplier in Hanover, said this would mean workers having to work five extra hours a week without pay.

"That is driving colleagues up the wall," he said, adding that it would also lead to further job losses.

Benner said workers had already made sacrifices worth several billion euros - including wage concessions and cuts to collective agreements - yet were being told this was not enough, while companies continued to pay dividends and management faced no consequences for past mistakes.

IG Metall aims to bring more than 100,000 people onto the streets on September 21. Various activities are planned to disrupt the working day, including internal works meetings at companies, active lunch breaks, rallying marches and public addresses.