IG Metall Calls Warning Strikes at Metal and Electrical Plants in Berlin and Brandenburg

Workers at a number of metal and electrical industry companies in Berlin and Brandenburg took part in warning strikes called by the IG Metall union. Among the businesses affected were the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Eisenhüttenstadt, train manufacturer Alstom in Hennigsdorf, and the BES electric steel works in Brandenburg an der Havel. The industrial action is part of a broader nationwide wage campaign that has been under way since December, with employers and the union negotiating separately in each collective bargaining region. Across Germany, the talks cover around 3.8 million workers, of whom roughly 100,000 are employed in Berlin and Brandenburg. IG Metall is demanding a four-percent wage increase for all workers covered by the agreements, with a contract duration of one year.