Around 3,500 industrial workers marched through Nuremberg on Monday in a warning strike organised by trade union IG Metall, demanding higher wages and job security.
Footage shows protesters marching with flags and banners as red smoke rises above the crowd. Demonstrators blow whistles and beat drums, while placards demand a five percent pay rise and the preservation of Bosch’s Nuremberg plant.
“We no longer want to be treated like animals. We want the 5% more. And we want to be treated like human beings,” one protester said.
The union is demanding a five percent wage increase over 12 months and an additional €110 in allowances for apprentices.
Employers have instead offered a one-off payment next year and a 1.3 percent pay rise from July 2028.
IG Metall rejected the proposal, arguing that the increase would amount to a real-terms pay cut as living costs rise. The union has warned of further industrial action unless employers improve their offer.
“We need the money to survive. Apprentices can’t make ends meet on this salary,” another protester said.
Workers from 35 companies joined three separate marches that converged on a rally in Nuremberg’s southern district.
More than 413,000 workers had taken part in over 2,800 strike actions and protests nationwide since November 1, according to figures released by IG Metall on Friday.
IG Metall described Monday’s demonstration as a ‘final warning’, with the third round of collective bargaining negotiations scheduled for the same day in Bavaria.
Source: Viory
