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24 September, 2002New collective agreement provides VW workers with comparable wage hikes as for the overall metal and engineering industry.
GERMANY: IG Metall, the IMF's 2.7 million-strong German metalworker affiliate, reached an agreement on September 24 with Volkswagen AG for a new collective contract covering some 105,000 autoworkers at the company's six plants in western Germany.
The two-year deal provides for a monthly wage increase of 120 euros (US$117) beginning October 1, 2002, to be followed by another pay hike of 3.1 per cent from February 1, 2003, and 2.6 per cent on February 1, 2004. Workers will also receive a one-time payment of 400 euros (US$391) in May 2004.
The union's chief negotiator, Hartmut Meine, said the agreement was a good result, as good as the one reached for the metal and engineering industry in May, and with adjustments to fit the specific needs of the company. VW negotiates directly with IG Metall, rather than via Gesamtmetall, the employers' association for the metal and engineering industry.
The current collective agreement will expire on September 30.