IG Metall calls warning strikes at 105 Bavarian plants

IG Metall is calling on workers at 105 plants in Bavaria’s metal and electrical industries to take part in warning strikes on Friday, BR reports. Tens of thousands of employees are expected to leave work early, with entire shifts potentially affected at some sites.

The main focus is the Nuremberg area, where workers at more than 30 plants are due to finish around 11 a.m. The companies affected include Bosch and Siemens sites, MAN Truck and Bus and Diehl plants. A rally is planned at Siemenspromenade in Erlangen.

Other actions include rallies outside Bosch Rexroth in Lohr and Magna Mirrors in Dorfprozelten, and a joint gathering by workers from several plants in Teisnach. BMW’s late shift in Dingolfing is expected to end early. Further walkouts and rallies are planned in several parts of Bavaria, including at KNDS, Siemens Mobility and MTU in Munich, and at Linamar in Penzberg.

IG Metall Bavaria district leader and chief negotiator Horst Ott said the strikes would be expanded in scale and duration. He urged employers not to ignore workers’ demands for higher pay and secure jobs.

The action follows stalled negotiations. Employers have offered a one-off payment in July 2027 and a 1.3 percent pay increase from July 2028, with a new agreement running until the end of 2028. IG Metall is seeking a 5 percent increase over 12 months. In the third round of talks, the union also proposed allowing exceptions to the agreement if companies make binding commitments to invest in future products and protect locations, jobs and training.