(ANSA) - BERLIN, 05 APR - The German union federation of metalworkers Ig Metall will ask for the reduction of weekly working hours to four days, from 35 to 32 hours with full wage compensation.
"We want to get real relief for the workers without them earning less," said IG Metall's chief negotiator for the steel sector in North Rhine-Westphalia, Knut Giesler.
The head of Ig Metallnational, Jörg Hofmann, added that the request is not limited to the steel industry, because it has a fundamental impact beyond steel.
Hofmann recalled that in the steel industry there was a fight for the 35 hours a week and the sector "has often been a pioneer of progressive collective agreements, including in matters of working hours".
As Tagesschau reports, collective bargaining for the steel industry will begin in the coming months for the area of north-western Germany and any agreements are often considered models for the rest of the country.
If the employers accept IG Metall's request, according to Giesler there would still be a long introduction time and the changeover could take several years.
(HANDLE).