The new collective bargaining agreement was reached only after several protest actions in front of paper mills and several rounds of tough negotiations with the employers.
Most members of the IG BCE are satisfied with the agreement. Apart from wage increases, the new agreement also contains some very important elements regarding partial retirement, an agreement extended up to the year 2020. As the German graphical sector is undergoing restructuring, this is a tool to be able to reduce the workforce in a socially acceptable manner.
In addition, for the next two years the IG BCE and the employers’ organization, VAP, will develop additional tools to deal with the challenges of demographic change.