Pay dispute solved: Pilot Agreement settled in North-Rhine-Westfalia!
- IG Metall: Collective Bargaining Round 2006 -

After nineteen hours of negotiations, a pilot agreement about pay increase, training and further payment of capital building was concluded in the early morning of the 22nd of April 2006 in Düsseldorf (region North-Rhine-Westfalia).

1. Contents:

a) Pay increase:

3 percent, beginning with 1 st of June 2006 until 31 st of March 2007.

- lump sum payment of 310 € for the months: March, April, May 2006.

That lump sum payment can vary from company to company on condition that the parties (works council and management) negotiate and settle an agreement. If they reach an agreement, then the lump sum can vary between 0 € and 620 €; if they do not reach an agreement at company level, then the company is obliged to pay at least 310 €.

b) Training:

An agreement has been concluded which is pretty similar to the already existing collective agreement valid for the region of Baden-Württemberg (South-West of Germany).

c) Capital building payment

Capital building payment of 319 € annually (that contract was expired!) will continue - but the purpose of the payment will be transformed and restricted to a payment for an additional pension.

2. Period of validity of the agreement

The period of validity lasts until the 31 st of March 2007 (13 months).

3. Obligation to transfer the pilot agreement to all the other regions

The agreement contains also the obligation for the employer side to carry that agreement over to all the other regions.

4. Of course, in Baden-Württemberg has to be found a specific solution with regard to their regional agreement about working conditions/paid break. It is most likely that an agreement can be settled that week-end (22 nd /23 rd of April).