Nothing youth moves my IG Metall on its own

Caravan boom - but they have to fight for the future

The construction of motorhomes is booming, especially since Corona.The caravan supplier Dometic also makes fat profits.But instead of letting the employees participate, the company management even wanted to shift their jobs.But they fought their way into their future.

You drive in full profits.Nevertheless, her management wanted to move production to Billiglohn countries.However, the employees of the caravan supplier Dometic in Krautheim in Swabia have fought a future collective agreement together with the IG Metall.At the last minute, one day before the start of her strike, the employer admitted: Dometic has to preserve the location by 2027 with 360 fixed jobs and commits to specific investments.

The employees in Krautheim produce high -quality windows, doors and rollerless systems, close to the customer, the caravan manufacturers in the region.Only three years ago they organized themselves in IG Metall and enforced a collective agreement for the first time in their company.

Now they have fought for their future again for over a year, put it publicly, politicians, suppliers and customers.Employees in customer companies, such as Hymer and Dethleffs, explained solidarity.

"We, our active members and IG Metall Schwäbisch Hall, fought for securing future from this grown strength," explains Arno Siebert from IG Metall Schwäbisch-Hall."This shows that when our colleagues, the entire works council and IG Metall move in one direction, everything is possible."

99 percent of IG Metall members at Dometic have accepted the result of the negotiation.More money is also agreed in it.Gradually, it goes up to the full payment tariff for the wood and plastic industry of IG Metall until 2024.

But the most important thing is that your jobs remain, emphasizes Petra Ambelang's works council chairwoman."We have many older employees who now have a safe job until retirement.We only did this by supporting IG Metall."

Bauboom - too little money for specialists

The order books are full of DFH Haus im Hunsrück.Finished houses are booming.The employees stem additional layers.Because DFH does not find enough specialists because they earn more elsewhere.

„Die Kunden sitzen uns im Nacken", sagt Dietmar Mohr, Betriebsratsvorsitzender der Deutschen Fertighaus Holding (DFH) in Simmern im Hunsrück.In many areas of the wood and plastics industry, it has gone since the beginning of Coronapandemia.So also with the prefabricated houses.If you don't drive away, you invest more in your own home - this is the knowledge from the past few months.

But the overtime cannot be collected by additional settings.The additional layers' workforce has been stemting for months.One reason for this is the shortage of skilled workers, which has also been in this industry for a long time. „Wir haben versucht, trotz Corona so viele wie möglich einzustellen", berichtet der Betriebsrat."For example, we are desperately looking for trainees in the production area."

Carpenters, carpenters, plasterers, bricklayers, locksmiths: these are all professions that are urgently needed in the work. Um attraktiv für diese Facharbeitenden zu bleiben, fordert der Betriebsrat von DFH Haus daher: „Gleiche Arbeit, gleicher Lohn!" Denn einige Beschäftigte aus der Produktion sind bereits gegangen, weil sie woanders mehr verdienen.

In addition to the demand for more money, the topic of partial retirement is also important for the DFH Haus employees and is always requested. „Die körperliche Belastung durch schwere Holzteile macht sich bei vielen in der Branche bemerkbar", sagt Lydia Ott, Betriebsrätin bei DFH."Here we need even more tariff pressure equipment."

39 hours of account in the plate plant

The Sonae Arauco chipboard in Nettgau (Saxony-Anhalt) hums.Since the corona crisis even more, especially because of the construction boom.Difficult work, especially for the elderly.

„So etwas habe ich in 20 Jahren hier noch nicht erlebt", meint der Betriebsratsvorsitzende Axel Krüger."The wood market has attracted so much, including the prices.With the OSB panels we no longer come after."

The profits are also high, because the raw material wood is cheap: the neighboring Harz lies full of storms, droughts and bark beetle infestation with dead wood.

The employees want to abandon the profits.Close around the clock in a contico, even on weekends, 39 hours a week.That is hard to hold out until retirement.It is therefore important to the older employees that they can get out earlier, over a better partial retirement with more money.

"I have been working here for 20 years, seven days at a time and then only 48 hours free to relax. Schon mit 44 Jahren fällt mir das schwerer als früher", erklärt Schichtleiter Jens Schulz."In addition, 36 weekends are occupied a year.It is difficult with three children."

What disturbs Schulz and the other employees in Nettgau the most is the 39 hours per week.Three kilometers further, beyond the border, in the old federal states, they would only have to work 35 hours.They finally want to change that.However, too few wooden companies in Saxony-Anhalt are currently bound by collective bargaining.

Your employer remains stubborn.Sonae Arauco in Nettgau has long since had a problem with the specialists.Many go over to the West."15 years ago there were 100 applications for six training positions. Heute sind wir froh, wenn wir überhaupt sechs Bewerber haben", meint Krüger. „Was sollen die hier 39 Stunden Kontischicht ballern, wenn sie im Westen für mehr Geld vier Stunden weniger arbeiten müssen?"

There will also be enough work at Sonae Arauco in the future.The company invests.The works council and IG Metall have repeatedly pushed on this.

A new coating machine will soon be installed. Aber wer soll dann dort arbeiten? „In die Beschäftigten der Zukunft investiert Sonae Arauco einfach zu wenig", findet Krüger."We have to do that in the tariff round."

This is how the tariff movement runs

Current information on the Holu and plastic tariff movement can be found here