IG Metall launches warning strikes across Germany as 2026 metal sector pay talks break down

Strikes begin after the peace obligation ends

Workers in Germany's metal and electrical industry walked off the job on Monday, 2 November 2026, after the peace obligation expired on the night of Saturday to Sunday. The IG Metall union said more than 2,000 people took part in Lower Saxony alone, and warning strikes were announced for more than 2,000 companies nationwide. A union spokesperson said the first wave of actions was only the start.

In Baden-Württemberg the union said almost 10,000 employees at times stopped work, including staff at Siemens and Daimler Buses. In Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt more than 2,000 employees were on strike, while in North Rhine-Westphalia the figure reached nearly 4,000 by early afternoon. The union did not publish a nationwide total.

Baden-Württemberg (cumulative, at times)10,000

North Rhine-Westphalia (by early afternoon)4,000

Lower Saxony2,000

Saxony-Anhalt2,000

Baden-Württemberg (cumulative, at times)

10000 employees

North Rhine-Westphalia (by early afternoon)

4000 employees

Lower Saxony

2000 employees

Saxony-Anhalt

2000 employees

Data from the article text

Bavaria and Berlin

In Bavaria about 3,800 employees from 34 companies joined the strike on Monday, according to Bayerischer Rundfunk, with the largest rallies in Swabia and Lower Franconia. In Berlin the action began overnight at Siemens Energy with a one-hour stoppage, followed during the day by work stoppages at Mercedes-Benz, Rheinmetall and Siemens Mobility.

The employers' offer and the union's demand

The IG Metall is demanding five percent more pay over a twelve-month term, along with job and site security. At the second bargaining round, held the previous week without agreement, the employers put forward a coordinated offer in five bargaining regions. It includes a 1.3 percent pay increase in July 2028 over a 26-month term, plus a one-off payment proposed for the following year.

The union rejected the offer.

“That is an offer that means a loss in real wages.”

Gröger, the IG Metall district leader, also said the workforces stood together and that the workers would not be fobbed off with crumbs.

Employers and the union dispute the outlook

Gesamtmetall, the employers' association, called the actions irresponsible and said they would not improve the economic outlook. The VDMA mechanical engineering association warned that more firms could consider leaving collective bargaining. The union countered that economic institutes had recently revised their forecasts sharply upward and that 62 percent of firms reported good to very good capacity utilisation, while the situation differs strongly across sectors.

What comes next

The IG Metall has announced further warning strikes for the coming days, with focal points in Hanover, Braunschweig, Osnabrück and Salzgitter. Protests were to be extended on Tuesday, 3 November, with emphasis on Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia and the Mitte district. A third bargaining round has not yet been fixed in any bargaining region, a union spokesperson said in Frankfurt.