On February 4th, 2015, Volkswagen AG and the IG Metall trade union met in Hanover, Germany to commence 2015 pay negotiations. Last week, on February 12th, 2015, the two came together yet again for the second round of negotiations, when Volkswagen made its first offer to the union.
The offer consisted of higher pay, a plan for apprenticeships, as well as discussions on future of work. Specifically, VW Group’s offer consisted of:
- A basic pay increase of 2.2 percent
- A commitment to create 1,400 apprenticeships per year in 2015 and 2016
- A constructive dialogue with IG Metall on the future of work, which already started in the first half of the year
“Our company is committed to good, secure jobs in Germany. Our commitment includes an open dialogue concerning the future of work. This will contribute to Volkswagen’s ‘Future Tracks‘ program.” said the leader of the Volkswagen negotiating committee, Martin Rosik, who is also Head of Human Resources of the Volkswagen Passenger Car brand.
“In making this offer, we have taken into consideration the increasingly difficult overall economic situation in many markets. Volkswagen cannot escape from these uncertainties. At the same time, Volkswagen employees must not be placed in a worse position than those of our competitors”, he added.
Rosik explained that the offered pay increase under VW’s collective agreement could apply until the end of February 2016, while the apprenticeships were a way to safeguard the future and competitiveness.
“We offer many young people a perspective and will continue to do so.”
The two parties have yet to set date for the continuation of negotiations, which affect about 115,000 employees at VW’s Wolfsburg, Brunswick, Hanover, Salzgitter, Emden and Kassel plants, as well as employees of Volkswagen Financial Services AG.
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