Not all companies have collective agreements. An employee in a company without a collective agreement earns 25 percent less on average. Especially during collective bargaining rounds, the mood in companies without collective agreements changes. But many people also realize when comparing their own wages with collectively agreed wages: without a collective agreement, employees have a noticeable loss of income and the difference shows: Only with a collective agreement are things fair in the company. Once this realization has taken hold, the first step has been taken.

Goodbye collective bargaining-free zone
A situation without a collective agreement does not have to be permanent. The employees themselves have the power to change the unfair situation. As a second step, we therefore recommend contacting your local IG Metall union and arranging a meeting. IG Metall will help to address the issue of a collective agreement in the company.

The third step is to become a union member and recruit more members. This is because IG Metall needs a "mandate" to negotiate collective agreements. It can only negotiate on behalf of its members. The old rule of thumb still applies: the more members, the stronger and more assertive. The more employees campaign for a collective agreement and support IG Metall, the greater the chance of pushing through a good collective agreement.

Collective bargaining commission: nothing works without the employees
Collective agreements are created democratically. It is the employees in the company who decide which issues they want to regulate with a collective agreement. Once they have decided on this, the fourth step is the collective bargaining commission. It is elected by the IG Metall members, decides on the demands and shapes the negotiation process. The members of the bargaining committee also form the negotiating committee, which negotiates the collective agreement with the employer.

The path to a collective agreement
Employers are not always in favor of collective agreements. Sometimes bosses have to be convinced of the good cause. Employees are therefore well advised to be prepared for headwinds and to check in the fifth step: Are we strong enough yet? Workforces should be able to build up pressure with actions if necessary in order to signal to management: We stand by our demands and want to enforce good wage standards.

The sixth step is collective bargaining. In the case of a company collective agreement, IG Metall and its negotiating committee negotiate directly with the employer; in the case of a regional collective agreement, the negotiating partner is the employers' association.

If a result is reached at the negotiating table and the bargaining committee has agreed to it, the collective agreement is concluded. If no result is reached, the employees have to help out and build up pressure. Actions or warning strikes are often necessary to persuade the employers to make a (better) offer. When they finally have one on the table that leads to a negotiated result and which the bargaining committee can agree to, the employees have pushed through their collective agreement.

However, even the best collective agreement is useless if it is on paper but not implemented and lived in the company. That's why there needs to be an authority in the company to ensure that collective agreements are adhered to. This is done by the works council on the basis of the Works Constitution Act (BetrVG). Section 80 defines its general tasks, such as "ensuring that the laws, regulations, (...) collective agreements and works agreements applicable to employees are implemented".

If you want good work and co-determination in your company, you need a works council. If you don't have one yet, then elect one. Your local IG Metall union will be happy to provide information, advice and support.