During nationwide demonstrations held this Saturday, the IG Metall trade union demanded a fundamental change in social and industrial policies from the center-right and center-left coalition government. Ralf Reinstädtler, the union’s Social Board member, stated to the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” that “the drama is that the federal government lacks the right impulses. Workers expect an economic policy focused on work and growth, not cuts.”
Participants in the protests, held under the banner “Hard earned,” expressed fears of social cuts impacting healthcare, pensions, care services, and working hours. However, IG Metall emphasized that the core issue is the stagnation of the German economy, necessitating a proactive labor and industrial market strategy.
The IG Metall board also criticized the current economic situation, noting that energy prices are “definitely not competitive.” Furthermore, the union called for measures to combat dumping imports from China and stimulate further manufacturing within Europe.
