Skip to content
LOUD
Heating uplabourjobs

IG Metall union stages warning strikes in German metal and electrical industry

Several cities · pinned on Düsseldorf, Germany · since Nov 2, 2026

Is it still on?

YESDay 9 and counting, since Nov 2.

Last report · checked

The Tea in three lines

Why they are protesting
The union is engaged in a collective bargaining dispute over wages and flexible working conditions within the metal and electrical industry.
What they want
The union seeks improved wage offers and binding commitments from employers regarding investments and job security.
What changed
Nov 9: Negotiations in North Rhine-Westphalia concluded without an agreement, leading the union to consider intensifying industrial action.
WhatsAppPost on X

Both sides

What protesters want

  • Higher wages
  • Binding investment commitments
  • Job security guarantees

Organised by: IG Metall

What authorities say

Employers have rejected the union's demands as excessive, arguing that the current economic situation makes further strike action unnecessary and counterproductive.1

The numbers

Only figures a source states, with who said it. Estimates often differ.

Crowd
413,000+
More than 413,000 employees participated in over 2,800 actions nationwide during the previous week, according to IG…1

The full story

The IG Metall union has been conducting warning strikes across Germany as part of ongoing collective bargaining negotiations in the metal and electrical industry. Following a failed round of talks in Düsseldorf on November 9, union representatives stated that employers failed to present an improved offer. The dispute centers on wage demands and the potential for companies to deviate from collective standards under economic pressure. The union has proposed a temporary framework for flexibility in exchange for investment and employment guarantees. Employers, represented by Arndt Kirchhoff, have criticized the union's demands as excessive given the current economic climate. With over 413,000 workers participating in more than 2,800 actions nationwide last week, the union leadership is now scheduled to decide on further escalations, including potential 24-hour strikes, by Wednesday.

Timeline

  1. Negotiations in Düsseldorf between IG Metall and employers concluded without an agreement, prompting the union to plan for potential escalation.1

  2. Nationwide warning strikes began, involving over 413,000 workers across more than 2,800 separate actions.1

Pins sit on city centres, never on gathering points

More like this