IG Metall negotiated for the workers of thyssenkrupp steel a Corona Instant-Package and a Future Package Steel 20-30. This was necessary to counter the challenges of the upcoming restructuring and the effect of the pandemic. IG Metall and thyssenkrupp management signed this collective agreement in the night of the 24th of March 2020.
Immediate Corona Crisis-package
•Increase of short-time work allowance to 80 percent of the last net wage. The
statutory short-time work allowance of 60 percent the net wage (or 67percent for employees with children) will bulked-up by the company to 80 percent.
•Compulsory conversion of the 1,000 € extra tariff wage per year into five free days. The option to convert this allowance into extra free days, which is an element of the 2019 collective agreement of the complete steel industry, is suspended in 2020 for the thyssenkrupp steelworkers. In that year - due to the effects of the pandemic - workers cannot opt for 1000 €. Obligatorily they have to take the five free days (comparable to paid holidays, because in that time they receive their normal wage). This measure reduces the period of short-time work. Thyssenkrupp management wanted to eliminate this entitlement of the steel collective agreement in the recent negotiations. IG Metall was able to beat off the employers.
Future Pact For Steel 20-30
•No forced redundancies for six years until end of March 2026. Thyssenkrupp plans to restructure the steel production. The company announced already that approximately 3000 jobs would disappear in this process. That restructuring can only happen fairly and as socially acceptable as possible. For this purpose, good regulations for age groups close to retirement age have been created, part-time retirement is used and internal transfers of the affected workers to jobs in other production sites within thyssenkrupp steel. Social plan and reconciliation of interests regulate those issues.
•Investments in steel. An investment package of 800 million euros was set up in addition to increased annual standard investments of 570 million euros. This guarantees the urgently needed modernization of thyssenkrupp’s steel plants.
•Bochum becomes a centre of competence. The Bochum steel site will be retained. Bochum becomes the centre of excellence for e-mobility, high-strength and dual¬phase steels - and thus has a real future perspective.
•Transparent process for heavy plate in Huttenheim (South-Duisburg).
Thyssenkrupp is looking for a buyer for the heavy plate plant in Duisburg-Huttenheim. The sales process must be transparent. That means: Works council and IG Metall are involved. If there is no potential buyer until by the end of this year, the plant will be closed by the end of September 2021. IG Metall has enforced a last minute rule: If a potential buyer appears at the last minute, the deadlines of the plant closure will be extended by three months.
26th of March 2020
Uwe Fink
IG Metall
Collective Bargaining Department