Warning strikes are imminent in the wage dispute in the metal and electrical industry in Lower Saxony. This was announced by the IG Metall trade union on Friday after the third round of negotiations. In it, the employers' association Niedersachsenmetall submitted an initial offer, which the employee representatives found to be far too low and vague.

The employers agreed to pay 3,000 euros tax-free as an inflation compensation premium if they agreed on a term of the new collective agreement of 30 months. They also promised an undefined table increase. "In the current situation, which is extremely difficult for many companies, we need a reliable planning period, otherwise you can't talk about an increase in the table that will have a lasting effect," said negotiator Torsten Muscharski. Companies should also be able to postpone or cancel wage increases or additional payments if their existence is threatened.

IG Metall, on the other hand, is demanding 8 percent more money if the new collective agreement runs for twelve months. "What Niedersachsenmetall presented today doesn't make sense," said IG Metall negotiator Thorsten Gröger. "To come around the corner with such a lousy offer on this day is a provocation in its purest form." The peace obligation ends on Friday, and there are now to be warning strikes from midnight to Saturday.

In Lower Saxony, around 110,000 employees are affected by the collective bargaining. According to the union, it is unclear when both sides will meet for the next round of negotiations.