Germany: Union seeks 6% pay rise in steel industry

In September 2010, the IG Metall trade union launched industrial action in the German steel industry over a claim for a 6% wage rise and equal pay for agency staff.

With its claim, IG Metall, which also negotiates the key agreement for 3.4 million workers in the metalworking sector, has put down a marker for the future, after a period of pay moderation during the economic downturn, arguing that the "crisis was yesterday".