Overview

• Negotiations opened in Düsseldorf for the Nordwest and Ost bargaining areas, covering about 68,000 employees.
• IG Metall entered the talks without a specific wage figure, insisting on compensation for inflation and rejecting a zero round for workers.
• The employers' steel association has dismissed pay increase demands as beyond the sector's means given current conditions.
• The peace obligation runs until September 30, after which warning strikes are possible, with Saarland talks scheduled for mid-November.
• The industry faces weak demand from carmakers, higher energy costs, cheaper Chinese imports, decarbonisation expenses, and high U.S. tariffs, and companies such as Thyssenkrupp plan thousands of job cuts.