Car plant stopped over bargaining threat

More than 12,000 workers at the DaimlerChrysler car plant in Stuttgart stopped work for an hour last month to protest against the threat to the German system of collective bargaining.

It is the biggest action so far in the union campaign to protect the system, in which most workers are covered by agreements for their industry signed at national or regional level, rather than by company-level deals.

Plans to shift to more local deals have been under active discussion for some months. The unions have repeatedly expressed their opposition but the government seems determined to allow moves in that direction (see Labour Research October 2003, page 8).

The Congress of DaimlerChrysler workers' union IG Metall, which is Germany's second largest union, issued a statement in support of the current system. It said that the proposed changes would lead to pay cuts and a weakening of both unions and the rights of employees.