Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee correspondent
Germany’s largest union, IG Metall launched a wave of strikes on 2 November 2026 for its demand of higher wages and increased job security. About 37 lakh employees of Germany’s metal and electrical engineering industries participated in the strike. The strike affected major manufacturers including automobile producers such as Audi and Mercedes-Benz and Tata Steel. Strikes are expected to continue throughout the week.
The union is demanding a 5 percent pay rise due to cost-of-living pressures, as well as measures to protect jobs and production sites, and profit-sharing arrangements in sectors performing strongly.
Employers have proposed a one-off payment equivalent to 1 percent of pay in July 2027, followed by a 1.3 percent wage increase from July 2028.
IG Metall rejected the offer, saying it would amount to a pay cut in real terms, and called for more industrial actions.
Workers of many other European countries have also been organising strikes and protests in the last few months over the cost of living and conditions in workplaces.
